Advent Children: Black & White
by Nerdstradamus
Summary: [COMPLETE: now with "bonus" chapter (28).] All things must die, even planets. A great evil was defeated, but not destroyed. Now, a new threat has arisen. Chapter 27: Reij cements his new position as the Brotherhood patriarch; Tara prepares for a new journey; things change dramatically for Tifa and Cloud's relationship; a shadow lurks in the WRO Tower, waiting to strike.
1. Chasing Dreams

****Final Fantasy VII****

****-Advent Children-****

****-Black & Wh********ite-****

****Author's Note:  
><strong>**Hello all. As my bio describes I am picking up a long abandoned work and re-writing it. For this first chapter I simply went back through and re-wrote a couple lines, fixed all typos and inaccuracies, and added in a few more lines of text.

It will mostly be an action/adventure based story, centering around Cloud, Tifa, Denzel, and Marlene at first, then branching out to involve most major characters and becoming more dramatic. It takes place a couple months after the end of Advent Children. Yes there will be romance; for now it will only be implied.

**I DO NOT** own any of the names, characters, locations, etc. etc included therein. Square-Enix owns all of that and I am gaining no profit from writing this; it is for entertainment purposes only.

**AUTHOR'S UPDATE 5/8/14: **I realized that the way Cloud was originally portrayed in this first chapter was very much like how he appears in Advent Children, yet he is completely different in all chapters after this. In truth, I wrote this very first chapter (and no others) many years ago, when the original movie was leaked, well before it was ever dubbed in English. I assume this is what has deterred people from reading it, so I've re-written a few lines and cut out others to make him seem less... well, emo. Also, keep in mind that Dirge of Cerberus had not come out yet (see my profile for more information regarding Dirge, and this story).

Right, let's get this show on the road. And don't forget to review!

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><p>The flames of war have all been put out, settling an uneasy peace across the land. The Planet is left with many scars and wounds, as are the brave souls who fought to protect it. But like most things, this peace would not last. All good things eventually come to an end, as is the way of the world. It is unavoidable, all things must perish in time. Humans, plants, animals, trees. Even planets. All things eventually fall into nothingness, crushed by the heals of fate and time. One must ask themselves, "What kind of force could shatter such a peace?" There are mysterious forces at work around the world, waiting for the moment to strike. Monsters stalk the shadows, waiting to feast upon the innocent. But with evil, comes heroes who step up to the challenge, and safeguard the helpless. But until this evil is revealed, our eight heroes lead out their normal, or perhaps not so normal lives.<p>

After the defeat of the three Sephiroth avatars, Cloud has found out that the flower-girl will no longer walk among them as a physical being. That all the tears and grieving in the world would not bring her back. Now that his eyes have been opened, he has chosen to stay at the Seventh Heaven with Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel. The bar still doubles as an orphanage, however, and Cloud supports them as best he can with the Delivery service. But with no monsters or evil prowling the streets, single parents often come into the bar, hoping to find a child to adopt into their home. Tifa hates to see them go, but in her heart knows that she cannot mother everyone forever. Be it the children, or even Cloud, she has to let go one day. Many would think that two childhood friends like Cloud and Tifa living together would spark a long-awaited relationship between the two, but both of them are too shy and full of pride to confess. In fact, the courage to spill their hearts out may never come. Only in the most dire situation would either of them even consider such a thing.

Though he hated to leave everyone again so soon, Barret departed after staying only a day at the Seventh Heaven, to find more oil fields. With reactors no longer pumping mako energy out of the planet, people in Edge are lacking electricity in much of the city. Some people do not even have power to run their own lights. Because of this, his work keeps Barret away much of the time, much to Marlene's dismay. However, he does try to call in now and then to check in on everyone, but even this comes once in a blue moon. Even though she cannot stand the thought that her father might be avoiding her, (being a child, she would of course think something like that,) she does know that what her father is doing will help the people in Edge, providing plenty of power for the entire city, and making their life a lot easier. He also tries to make plans to come and see Marlene in person, but since he always picks up leads of finding new oil fields, he must often cancel these plans, and it is Cloud who Marlene takes her anger out on.

The toy Cait Sith had offered to stay in Edge for many reasons. One of them being that Reeve had grown rather fond of Cloud and Tifa's 'relationship' as childhood friends, and couldn't bear to leave them behind. He also acts as a sort of messenger between Rufus, and Cloud. Another reason, is that the children simply adore the toy body, so it is usually poor Reeve that must entertain the children, when he is able to operate the cat. Reeve tells Cloud that Rufus and the Turks have hired several people in Edge to begin constructing the World Regenesis Order Tower, and Rufus himself announced once the Tower was complete, he planned to merge Shin-Ra, with the World Regenesis Order effectively making the Shin-Ra Company obsolete. Apparently the President still feels responsible for putting the Planet in such a weak state, and the people had such confidence, that they agreed to help. Even though its been only a week, the Tower is nearly complete, with only a few more floors left. Despite these 'good deeds,' Rufus still has little to no liking of Cloud or his friends, so he and the Turks mostly keep to themselves.

Cid had stayed at Seventh Heaven for a time, but he soon departed, taking his airship with him. Some think that Cid returned to Rocket Town to begin a new plan to create another rocket to travel to space. The man only experienced it once, and it apparently only fueled his dream even more. Plus, with no world wide crisis, Cid would have plenty of time on his hands. Others assume Cid has given up his dream, and is instead planning on rebuilding Rocket Town, though this is highly unlikely. Tifa personally thinks he has gone to confess himself to Shera, as the two seemed right for one another. But a quick reminder from Cloud hinted that Cid always shouted and cursed at Shera, and probably still does to this very day. So, like the assumption of giving up his dream, this is also just as unlikely. Cid also often offers to come pick the children up and bring them in the airship to see Rocket Town, but Tifa has declined so far.

Yuffie also stayed at the Seventh Heaven, though, like Cid, only for a set amount of time. It seemed she only stayed, because she so dearly wanted to see the children, which is how she spent most of her time. Though her stay was longer than Cid's, she also eventually departed, though made quite a big deal out of it. She had given everyone, - including Cloud, much to his misfortune, - the most tearful bearhug ever. This struck everyone as odd, because no one was forcing her to leave... as far as they knew. Perhaps Godo was ordering her to come back to Wutai. Though this is also strange, because the youth never did listen to her father that much. Or maybe she is just stalking the local forests, hijacking travelers of their belongings once they pass. Even with her quirky attitude and up-beat outlook on life, she is sorely missed by the entire party, having not been heard from since her departure.

Red XIII bid everyone a final farewell after Geostigma was cured. He told everyone that since there was no logical reason for them to be together, he had to return to Cosmo Canyon. It is here that he has taken over his father's duty as the Canyon Guardian, fighting off the local hordes of monsters who stray too close to the village. Red also has not been heard from, since he does not carry a PHS, and even if he did, no service is within the Canyon. Lately, however, his grandfather has fallen victim to a mysterious illness, which Red assumes is from old age. It is because of this that Red has begun to doubt his own duties as a Guardian, and that without Bugenhagen, he cannot go on, as the old man had given him strength of heart, and of mind. However, the elder tells Red that he has played with life for long enough, and that his death will give the Planet more energy to help it survive.

Like Red, Vincent left after Geostigma had been cured, although he told no one where he was going, or why. Perhaps he has gone to wander the frigid northern glaciers, looking for something, or someone. Or maybe he purposely lost himself in the desert around Gold Saucer, atoning for his past sins. Or worse, maybe he has returned to the coffin in the basement of the old Nibelheim mansion, to return to his sleeping state, never to awaken again. Despite all of these horrid assumptions, the party knows Vincent can take care of himself. Unless he has willingly given up on life...

Little do they all know, they will be joined together for another adventure none of them could have ever imagined. An adventure unlike any they had undertaken before. An adventure that will change some of them forever.

****-Chapter 1-****

Chasing Dreams

Dust swirled across the barren landscape, it being the only movement within this place. This place... a desolate wasteland, crawling with nothing but vicious monsters. Monsters, who appear to be growing in numbers at an alarming rate. The cause of this is not yet known, but it leaves many in Edge City worried. Worried that their already wrecked town will be utterly destroyed by rampaging creatures.

The desert, not only filled with creatures, is nothing but an endless sea of dust, and spiked chunks of rock, poking out throughout the landscape. The occasional cliff would dot the area, serving as a perfect over-view of much of the area. This is where our main hero begins.

Cloud sat himself down upon the Fenrir, having parked the bulky motorbike atop one of these cliffs. This particular formation of land was over-looking the two cities of Edge, and what was left of Midgar. From a distance, the two really didn't look so much different. One was in complete ruins, while the other was built entirely out of the debris from the ruined place. From this far away, it actually was an impressive view. That is, of course, if you weren't one of the many people who were forced to live in a place like that.

Also from such a far way away, you could see the WRO tower, poking up from amidst all of the rubble. And once the wind calmed down, and you listened hard enough, you could hear hammers pounding, and other types of machinery going off. In fact, much of the upper floors of the Tower were held together by rods of steel and iron, and a few large cranes stretched high into the sky, to lower more huge rods for further construction. A single path cutting out to the east toward Edge was the only pieces of rubble cleared out, aside from the area around the Tower, of course. Such a splendid view, and Cloud knew that, soon he'd have to return before it got too late. Even though his definition of 'too late' and Tifa's were entirely different.

Cloud suddenly placed a gloved palm against his temple, as his head had suddenly begun to hurt. What was wrong with him? The pain was slowly growing more, and more, and before long, he was clutching his head with both hands, "What... is happening...?" Even as he uttered those words, his vision flushed, and all went white.

__When his vision at last cleared, he was standing in an all too familiar field. A field of endless flowers, far as his eyes could see. He suddenly remembered the last time he was here, 'she' was standing right behind him. But he also remembered the second he looked around, he was instantly returned to the real world. ____Thinking she had done this on purpose, he slowly turned around in a full circle.__

__Instead, he was only met with the sight of more flowers. "Aerith? ____Are you here?____" He called out into the dream world, taking a few cautious steps. His voice became more and more distorted as it echoed off into nothing. Of course, he knew that this was a dream, that maybe she pulled his mind into her own thoughts, so that she could speak with him. But... why?__

__"Cloud..."__

__There it was, that soft voice that he could tell it belonged to her. Again, he ____turned____, trying to find her face. ____Nothing____. Nothing in this world but flowers... flowers, and blue sky. "Aerith?" Finally, he spotted her, far out in the distance. The bright pink bow in her hair was unmistakable. In an instant, he was charging through the flowers toward her, wanting to at least get close to her before he was returned to the wasteland. ____Maybe she had something important to say, and was trying to reach out to him.__

__But something was wrong. He wasn't getting any closer to her, even though he was rushing across though the flowers, faster than he had ever tried to run before. The flowers broke and wilted beneath his boots, yet - not noticed by the blonde,- they quickly stood straight again, and re-bloomed in a matter of seconds. His heart began to pump faster, speeding up the flow of blood. It felt like he had been running for hours, yet it he was getting nowhere. In the distance, she reached out for him with both arms, waiting for her 'bodyguard____' to get there.__

__But it just wouldn't happen. Her image suddenly began to rush toward him, like he was finally moving. This caught Cloud off-guard, though he only picked up his pace. The last thing he saw before his vision was overtaken with the blinding white light, was her face so close he could have reached out and touched her.__

After a few minutes, the whiteness faded, and instead was replaced by the blurry image of Midgar and Edge. He barely noticed the small trickle of crimson from his nose, but was easy to note that he felt weary... almost as if... he had been running. "Just... a dream?" He said into the air. "What should I do?" This he asked to no one in particular, more to himself.

He soon reached into one of his back pockets, locating his PHS, though he did not flip it open. He just... stared at it. His mind was telling him to go to the church, to try and find 'her.' But what about Tifa? She at least had a right to know where he was going.

Coming to this simple agreement, he flipped open the phone, and punched a few numbers, then brought the piece up to his ear. The dial-tone rang several, several times. He figured it must have been busy at the bar. But finally, the dialing ceased, and Cloud was met with the smallest of voices,

"Hello, thanks for calling the Seventh Heaven!" It was Marlene. It looked as though Tifa finally found a proper job the girl.

"Marlene, its me, Cloud. Where's-..." He began, but was soon cut off.

"Hi, Cloud! Where are you? When are you coming home? Are you okay?" She just asked question after question.

"I'm coming soon, Marlene. But I need to talk to Tifa. Where is she?"

"Um, um... I think she's working the bar! Hold on, okay?" After that, there was silence on the other end. Cloud heaved a sigh, using his free hand to idly toy with the keys in the motorbike's ignition.

Finally, there was another voice on the other end. One that Cloud had missed hearing since he left that morning,

"Heya, stranger."

At this, Cloud smiled, just ever so slightly, "Hey, Tifa."

On the other end, Tifa wanted so badly to ask the same questions Marlene had, but the little girl had told her Cloud had something important to tell her, "Is something wrong, Cloud?"

"Nothing at all. Just wanted to tell you I'll be home shortly. I... have to make a quick stop somewhere."

"A... stop? Cloud? What kind of stop? Where?"

It obviously had caught her attention. The blonde couldn't come up with a right answer, he simply replied with,"It's nothing, Tifa. But I promise I'll be home before night-fall."

Tifa would have demanded to know more, but Cloud immediately shut the phone, tucking it back into his back pocket. After staring the Fenrir's engine, he gripped the handlebars, kicked up the small stand holding the bike up, and sped off the small outcropping.

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><p><strong><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>**

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><p>The bike swerved in and out of rubble, which was still loosely scattered around the area. A few behemoth steel pipes were jutting out of the ground, as they had dropped off of the ruined Shin-Ra Tower, or the massive delivery trucks that went to and fro in that area. Cloud controlled the bulky bike in such a way it seemed inhuman, each sharp turn narrowly missing a pile of scrap metal, or small pipe sticking bare in the ground. Hitting any of these things with the bike would result in the rider being sent off the bike, and possibly becoming impaled on some of the numerous sharp, rusty iron works. Ever since the scheduled construction of the Tower, the area was more dangerous than before.<p>

But at last, Cloud spotted the building he so wanted to see. The old church... the church where he and Aerith truly met for the first time. Not many could consider talking to a complete stranger on the street one time warrants a real introduction. The bike came to a silent halt, the engine rumbling for a few moments, then dying after Cloud flicked the keys to 'off.'

Hauling himself off the bike, Cloud came up to the large double doors, which had been slightly left open since he was last here. Keeping himself on full alert, he pushed open one of the doors, it swinging open, with the hinges creaking very loudly. He then stepped in, heavy boots thudding, and echoing in the abandoned place. He could barely take less than fifteen steps before he had to stop, lest he stumble into the large hole filled with water. Yes, the church was still over-flowing with the healing waters which had cured Geostigma. It surprised Cloud that the water hadn't evaporated yet. Much of the floor was slightly rotten, only a few places here and there were actually solid, this due to the overwhelming amount of water. In fact, the place generally had a heavy smell of rotting wood, almost like that of a swamp.

Despite that, the water was still brilliantly sparking, with yellow and white flower petals floating on the surface, and beneath the splashing waves. One had to wonder if this water still had its curative affect, or if it was now nothing but plain water.

But then, he remembered why he was here in the first place. "Aerith! Are you here?"

Silence.

He continued to walk around much of the general area, calling out her name, over and over. He hoped they'd actually be able to talk. But nothing happened, and he instead found himself circling the entire church more times than one. "Why do you continue to haunt me?"

He wanted to forget Sephiroth ever existing. That Meteor was ever summoned. That the flower girl ever died. But he snapped himself out of these thoughts, realizing once again that the Cetra would want him to move on with his life. And that sometimes you have to live with bad memories, as they make you a stronger person as a whole. Cloud nodded, and spoke aloud, "It's time to leave the past here, my friend. None of us will ever forget you, but I'm not going to live my life this way anymore. That's what you wanted, right?" He paused, and removed a single gil from his pocket, and threw it into the water with a 'sploosh', then plucked a flower from the nearby garden. "I'll see ya on the other side, Aerith. Goodbye." Then turned and left without so much as looking over his shoulder, the double doors slamming shut behind him.

As the doors shut, however, a giant green flicker of light rose up from the water, floated over by the door, and around it, a figure began to take shape. A slender woman in a flowing pink dress, with chestnut brown hair tied in a long ponytail, down slightly past her waist. In her left hand was the previously discarded gil. She put her other hand to the large door, and whispered, "Cloud... I'm so sorry."

But of course the blonde never heard or noticed this. He stepped out after slamming the old wooden doors shut behind him, and took a deep breath. Time to head home, and to leave the past here at the church.

He threw one leg over the bike, and pulled down the dark rider's goggles. Then flicked the keys over, and revved the engine a couple times. "Let's go, Fenrir."

Yet Cloud never once noticed, or had any idea, of the dark figure standing on the cliff, watching his every move with a pair of military grade binoculars.


	2. Nightmare Revisited

**-Chapter 2-**

Nightmare Revisited

The air inside the bar was warm and inviting. With the sun quickly going down, the temperatures would be dropping soon. Not so strange being as they were going into the month of October. A fireplace in the corner crackled and popped, a thin layer of smoke hung in the air.

Tifa was behind the bar, walking from one end to the other pouring drinks and collecting money. Denzel was out on the floor helping to bus dishes and empty glasses, and Marlene sat atop the bar to collect them, and run them to the kitchen. On the back shelf sat the idle cat toy that was Cait.

Thankfully that night, there were not many patrons. Just a few of the regulars who wandered in about this time. Normally they were some of the lot hired by Rufus and the World Regenesis Order. "I'll take the stiffest drink and hottest meal ya' got, Tifa!" They would always say. They were good people, even if they worked for a shady and still questionable lot.

'He's late again,' Tifa thought quietly to herself as she counted out change for a customer. Though it never came as much a surprise to the brunette anymore. In the past, he would never come home. Never pick up his cellphone. Never seemed to care about anyone but himself.

But... things were different now, right? After Geostigma was cured, Cloud turned into a completely different person. He stayed home when he could, he called when he was out on deliveries—one thing that still somewhat shocks her, but nevertheless she is grateful for. It was like they were finally turning into a family. So why did she continue to worry? Was it that mother aspect of her? Or was it something...more?

"Uh...miss?" The man sitting on the stool across from her snapped Tifa from her thoughts. "O-Oh! I'm so sorry, I was just..."

The man chuckled and took his money from her, "The thousand yard stare... I get it. Don't worry about it," he then stood up, but not before throwing a few more gil down on the bar, "Ya have a good'n now." and left.

Tifa scooped up the money and placed it in a pot inside a safe behind the bar. She paused to remark at one item in particular in the safe. It was the old picture of the four of them...her, Cloud, and the children...taken not long after Cloud brought Denzel to the bar. Cloud standing off to the side, the trademark melancholy look on his face, like he didn't even want to be there. She shut the safe and looked up at one section of the wall by the register. It was a new picture of them all, arms linked, and even the blonde giving the slightest of smiles. It was the same picture he had on his desk, along with the group shot of all of their companions.

So why did she keep the old one? Perhaps to remind her that the past is the past...and that they all have come a long way from just six short months ago. She turned to go back to the register, when...

"Ahoy, friends!" The Cait doll suddenly clicked to life. Tifa missed a step and nearly fell over,

"Reeve, damn you! You scared me!"

If a toy doll were able to facially express concern, that is what it did, "Ohh, I'm sorry lassie. I di'int mean ta' give ya a fright!" It jumped off the shelf and landed with a soft 'plunk' on the bar top.

Marlene suddenly popped in from the kitchen, "Hi Cait!" and waved rather enthusiastically.

The toy returned the wave, "Hello, little one!" Marlene always giggled at that, because the toy was in fact smaller than she was, "You been helping out Miss Tifa here I see!" The little girl nodded excitedly. She always loved the praise.

But Tifa assumed that for Reeve to suddenly get in contact with them now, something important had to be going on. "Marlene, I need to talk to Cait for a minute.. can you help Denzel close the bar?"

"Sure! But only if I can talk to him too before he leaves again!"

Cait bowed, and held up two fingers, "Scout's honor, lass!"

Tifa and the toy then moved to a far corner of the bar, so they were out of ear shot but Tifa could still keep an eye on the floor, "Is something going on, Reeve? Normally you don't just...pop in suddenly,"

Cait hopped onto a chair then flopped down on the edge of a table, "Well, ne'erminding the fact that apparently one can't just pop in to check on their friends, but..."

The brunette was just a bit taken aback, because he had a point. Apparently all the pointless worrying about Cloud had her at a bit on edge, which was not like her, "I'm sorry..just...long day, you know?"

"Aye, lass. I know how those are. But no, nothing life threatening! Thought you'd want to know Rufus has decided to halt construction on the new Tower, and instead move all WRO efforts to building the city itself back up!"

A group of workers walking for the door overheard the conversation, "All praise our lord and savior Rufus Shinra!" His tone was extremely sarcastic,

"Lord forbid he doesn't get to live in luxury first while the rest of us live like squatters!"

Cait paid them no mind but Tifa could not help but agree.

Many people were infuriated when Rufus decided to put most efforts into breaking down the old Shinra Tower and rebuilding the new WRO Tower first. A feet where most people (Tifa included) attributed to the fact that the President had not learned his lesson, and—while he had good intentions—was getting his priorities way out of order. "Well...that's good," was all Tifa could respond with at first.

"I take it Cloud is not here either?"

"Not yet, but he called and said he would be here before nightfall."

The toy hopped off the table, "Aye, of course! Well when the lad gets here, I need ta' speak with him. Direct message from the President..another job offer!" Then he plopped off to go find Marlene.

Tifa raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

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><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

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><p>The last thing the blonde could remember was kicking the motorcycle into gear and beginning to speed off out of the slums..and then the massive headache started again. He didn't even have time to hit the breaks, as the pain got ten times worse, almost as if something struck him in the back of the head. Then a flash of white overtook his sight again.<p>

_Cloud suddenly was not on the motorcycle anymore, though he still had the goggles over his eyes, which he promptly slid down into his vest. His vision was still blurry, but it only took a second to realize where he was._

_He was back in that damned field again...flowers everywhere._

_Instead of feeling guilt or anguish, he felt frustration..even anger. At his sides, his hands tightened into fists, the leather stretching; his knuckles turned white underneath them. How was he supposed to move on with his life? This did not start happening until this morning.. The only reason he went looking for her last time, was he merely assumed she was trying to reach out to him...to tell him something important. It was not like he willingly threw himself into that world. That he still lived in the slum church. No, he moved on, at least as best he could. The old gray wolf that used to appear to him when he would think of her, hadn't shown itself in months. Not even earlier._

_Because it is one thing to stop openly chasing the ghosts of your past... but what happens when they start chasing __**you**__? What then can be done about that?_

_He was unsure of what else to do, so he started walking. Not running, not sprinting. Not even looking left and right, hoping to spot the pink ribbon. "Aerith...if you have something to tell me, here I am!"_

_Nothing. "You can't keep doing this to me..."_

_He suddenly stopped, turning his eyes up to the sky. "__You told me that day that everything was going to be all right, that I wasn't alone anymore." He paused, looking down at the flowers growing around his boots, concealing them from his view. "And I accepted that. I still accept that..but I..."_

"_Cloud..."_

_His heart stopped, it was her voice, that voice that he always would recognize. But he stopped himself from turning around, as he had earlier that day. He kept his eyes on the ground, before closing them and inhaling deeply. "No... not this time." And started to walk._

"_Cloud!"_

_He continued walking. He assumed that if she wanted to show herself to him, she would have done so already. __Could it be that his mind was somehow playing tricks on him? "Please!" Her voice called again, this time it sounded frantic. He couldn't help but stop, his fists still balled tightly. "Cloud, turn around and look at me."_

_'Damn it all...' He muttered, but quickly turned around to face behind him._

_And was immediately staring into the Mako infused eyes of a hated foe._

_Cloud instinctively threw himself backward, hitting his back but flipping backwards to land in a fighting stance. His hand quickly reached behind him to draw the huge sword he carried with him...but it wasn't there. He had no weapons at all! All he could do was take a step back and look at the apparition before him. It was no mistake...from the long silver hair, the shoulder pads, the single, outstretched black angel wing..._

"_Hello again, Cloud. Did you miss me?"_

_Cloud grit his teeth, his eyes burning with frustration and hatred. Could it be that this was all his foe's doing? That he mimicked her voice? _

_But the former Shinra General feigned a hurt expression, "Don't look so surprised, Cloud. After all, you know better than even I do that you can't leave the past behind. __I'm merely here, pushing it along.__"_

_At that moment, the blue skies suddenly turned dark, filled with black storm clouds. The clouds promptly belched great bolts of lightening around the two, setting blaze to the field. Before much longer, there was fire all around them. To Cloud, Sephiroth looked exactly the same as he did the day he set fire to Nibelheim. _

"_This isn't real," Cloud simply remarked._

_Sephiroth then raised his right hand, and curled his fingers inward, in a choking motion. Cloud suddenly felt an unseen force binding his neck, cutting off his air supply, "That feels real enough, doesn't it?"_

_The silver-haired enemy released his hold, but quickly drew from the flames the Masamune, and flicking it in Cloud's direction. Within a split second he had a deep gash across his cheek, another down his left arm. Sephiroth then stepped closer, "Still just a puppet without the strings of his martyr. When will you learn that no one can atone for their sins?"_

"_That's not true!" Cloud shot back. His adrenaline was pumping now, forgetting the deep wounds he sustained. He knew if he remembered this wasn't real, all would be okay. Tifa...Marlene...Denzel...even Aerith. Surely she was here somewhere too, right?_

"_Your precious Cetra cannot save you now," Sephiroth's voice made the other male's eyes shoot open to stare at his terrifying visage, "Geostigma is dead, yes. However...I still live. __And while I live, this Planet will die.__"_

_'Lies...' Cloud thought, slamming his eyes shut again. 'Just a dream...just a dream... just a dream...'_

"_CLOUD!" He opened his eyes again to a familiar sight that took his breath away. Aerith was down in a praying position, looking him directly in the eyes, smiling. Behind her, Sephiroth raised his blade for the familiar killing blow. "It'll be okay..." Aerith had said, mere moments before the sword plunged through her midsection._

"_NO!" Cloud screamed, and all logic went out the window. He was no longer in a dream world. He was back in the Forgotte__n__ City, and he was not going to let his enemy escape again. __Then t__hat familiar flash of light, mere moments before he got there._

Cloud suddenly bolted upright, still hearing his enemy's insane laughter ringing in his ears. His eyes hurt, and his head throbbed. But he realized he was back in the real world, not 30 feet from the church. A quick check of his arm and cheek revealed that the Masamune has never cut him. But...it all felt so real. He also checked his back, and breathed a sigh of relief when his sword was there. What the hell was going on? Was Sephiroth somehow forcing his conscious directly into that dream world? And if so, had he also done it earlier that day?

It was a mystery he'd solve later; right then he wanted to be as far away from that church as possible. He went to stand, but found his legs a bit weaker than he expected. When he finally found his feet, he looked around for the Fenrir. It was tipped over on its side about ten feet away. He assumed that when he was pulled into that other world, the bike hit something and he was thrown from it. He groggily walked over to where the bike was, and heaved it up onto its kickstand—though it took a surprising amount of effort. Cloud groped around in the small pack looking for a healing potion, when a low growl made him freeze.

Cloud yanked the blade from its strap and whirled around, and was faced with a pack of wolf-like creatures... at least ten or so. They were a breed of wargs, with what appeared to bone plates of armor around their mid sections and horns protruding from their temples. How did so many manage to venture even this far into the ruins? The WRO keeps strict patrols around the entire area!

Nevertheless, it was do or die. He maneuvered the sword in a horizontal defensive position; he was still weak from his previous ordeal, and wasn't sure how much of a fight he would be able to put up, if they all decided to rush him at once. The pack suddenly parted, however, making way for a similar beast, but of much more gargantuan size. Easily three times larger than the others, with slavering jaws that oozed green liquid. It growled what seemed to be marching orders in a guttural language, and three of them stepped forward in a pouncing position. Apparently the leader was going to wear him down and then finish him off after the dirty work was done.

"Damn it..."


	3. C'est la Vie

**-Chapter 3-**

C'est la Vie

"_Once upon a time, I swore I had a heart, long before the world I knew tore it all apart._

_Once upon a time there was a part of me I shared, _

_years before they took away the part of me that cared."_

The battle was proving to be more difficult than he would have anticipated.

Cloud twisted away from a beast's fangs intended for his neck, sweeping the largest Fusion Sword in an upward motion to slice another across the belly. Which in turn led to him being sprayed with blood and other unmentionable fluids. With every attack he took one step backward, trying to edge closer to the still parked Fenrir nearby, to get to another blade.

He was still racked from the mental attack by his nemesis, and he was beginning to feel it. His knee suddenly buckled, which turned out to save him from another lunge attack. Another warg came up behind that one, only to be impaled upon the end of Cloud's blade. The entire time the largest of the lot simply sat, as though he were a trained house dog. Watching. Cloud suddenly jumped up as his sword began to glow a dark yellow. He slammed it into the ground, which fired three shock waves of energy towards the fiends, taking out two and scattering the rest. He then used the distraction to dash towards the bike, quickly opening a compartment and yanking out a second blade, which he slid into a strap across his back. Only to reach in and grab a third, smaller one. He then turned to face his foes, whom were advancing more slowly at the now more dangerous prey.

Cloud's sight flickered, and for a split moment he saw his silver haired enemy yet again. Surrounded by flames, and smiling in the most evil way imaginable.

"_You can't run forever. But then again, you always were good at running. Like a whipped dog." _Sephiroth's voice rang in Cloud's ears, as though he were standing right there.

"Shut up!" Cloud said aloud, and charged the pack. When one pounced, it was met with a swift end. The warrior twisted, ducked, weaved, and dashed amidst the monsters, swinging and thrusting his weapons. All he could see was Sephiroth's face in every monster he killed.

"_That's it. Give into the dark, use your anger to stoke the fire. Keep my memory alive!"_

Cloud fought, not only to stay alive, but to push the voice out of his head.

"_You cannot get rid of me, Cloud. I am much a part of you as you are of me."_

"I said shut up!" Again Cloud slammed the largest sword against the dirt, sending another wave of energy out. This time it was intended for the pack leader, which simply darted out of the way. The monster then tilted its head back and howled so loud it echoed off the surrounding metal and debris. It only took the blonde a second to realize that, more of the monsters emerged from the shadows, and from behind piles of trash.

'Damn...where did they all come from!?' He thought to himself,

Not a moment later, five monsters charged him from all sides. Cloud jumped straight into the air, his enemies directly behind him. He turned to the left, sliced, beheaded one of the foe. He turned again to the right, knocking another back to the ground with his boot, only to use the other sword to eliminate another. When he landed back on the dirt with a loud 'thud', he again jumped up, bringing both blades down on two separate monsters, killing them instantly. Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and he knew without a potion he would not last much longer. The lead warg finally stepped forward, three of the smaller on each side of him for a total of seven foes. Cloud quickly slid the smaller sword into the other, flicking down a locking mechanism to create one sword. The situation didn't look good, but the warrior nonetheless took a step back and held a tight grip on the hilt of his weapon, holding it out challengingly. He wasn't going down without a good fight.

"_The mighty ex-SOLDIER killed by a lowlife pack of monsters. How will your precious fist fighter wench think when she hears it?" _That voice again,

"_You aren't worthy to even mutter the name SOLDIER. You're pathetic, weak, a lowly peon."_

"_You couldn't even save them, Cloud. Your Cetra, or Zack."_

"_You couldn't save them."_

"_...Couldn't save them..."_

At that moment, he saw red and drew the third blade from his back. The fact he could wield a large weapon with one hand while retaining hold on another, was testament to the adrenaline now pumping in his body. No... he couldn't die here. He wouldn't. Not today.

Two more lunged for the kill, but were quickly brought down with one swipe, only for three to leap in to catch him off guard. Cloud jumped back, taking off the jaw of one beast in the process, and deflecting the blows of another. He didn't even hear the faint explosion off in the distance.

He ducked, ramming a sword up into the gut of an over-passing warg, letting it split itself down the middle, only to again sprayed with blood. But he looked up too late, just in time to see the lead warg's paws leave the dirt, going in for the kill...

A giant ball of fire suddenly struck the lead warg, engulfing it in heat and smoke. On instinct, Cloud jumped back, unsure of where the attack came from. The smaller monsters also jumped back, confused and unsure what to do now that their leader was apparently dead. Cloud jerked around to see an oncoming armored truck, and his adrenaline picked up again. Were they allies? Surely the fact they fired upon the monster could mean so. But what if they were marauders? Thieves? Come to steal the money and possessions of a traveler before the wargs made off with it?

But as the truck drew closer, it became familiar. It screeched to a halt just in front of Cloud, and a large dark figure jumped off the back of it. The first thing Cloud noticed was the mechanical right arm, "What up, foo'!?"

"B-Barret!?" Cloud was honestly taken aback,

"In the flesh, baby! Looks like you could use some help!" The arm disassembled and formed into the familiar turret gun. From the truck, three WRO infantrymen clambered out and used rifles and flash bang grenades to drive off the remaining monsters. Barret unloaded several rounds into the smoldering pile that was the leader, for good measure.

After the chaos settled, "Barret, what are you doing here?" Cloud had said,

"Four months of no contact and you still can't even say 'thank you'?! What the hell, Spikey!"

Cloud smiled just a bit, "Thanks. Though I think I was doing fine. Honestly though, what are you doing here?"

"WRO got a tip someone was snooping around the church," Here the man paused and pointed to an outcropping, where the old plate used to be, "so we came to investigate. I saw ya comin' out the church only to have some kinda spazz attack. So here we are!"

"And it took you THIS long to make it here?"

"Well the idiot couldn't find a quick way down!" He motioned to one of the solders, "But hey! We made it and all is well!" Barret slapped Cloud on the shoulder, "So! How is my Marlene? Still stubborn?"

"Just like her father," Cloud remarked, and both men got a chuckle out of it.

"Well awwrite then! I reckon I got a day off, so let's head to Edge, eh!?" Barret said, punching the gun arm out for enthusiasm.

Cloud slid the large sword across his back, the other into one of Fenrir's compartments, and threw a leg over the bike. He looked up in time to see Barret climb into the passenger side of the armored truck, the World Regenesis Organization logo clearly printed on the door. Cloud couldn't resist,

"Hey, Barret. How's it feel to be working for someone else for once?"

"Actually," the driver commented, "Barret likes to think Reeve is working for HIM!"

Cloud didn't see it, but Barret gave the man a sour look, "Yeah yeah yeah...hey! It's helping build the planet back up so it don't mater! Let's go, Spikey! Unless you're too injured to ride. You look like hell!"

"Speak for yourself," Cloud shot back. The other man was coated in what appeared to be engine grease, and oil.

"Well, at least I smell better than ya do! Let's go!"

Cloud started the Fenrir, and shot ahead of the truck, leaving a trail of dust in his wake,

"Show off..." Barret muttered, as the truck sped off towards Edge.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>By now, the sun had already sunk beneath the buildings in the city, making it seem more dark than it truly was on the bar. Denzel was sitting on one of the bar stools in the corner, scribbling something down in a notebook he had received from Tifa. Marlene was right next to him, coloring in a coloring book. And Tifa was behind the bar as always, washing up the dishes from that night and prepping them for tomorrow.<p>

The brunette looked at the moogle clock hanging on the wall behind her, and sighed. Still no sign of Cloud. She even tried to call him a couple times with no answer and no reply. 'Just like old times...' she sadly thought to herself, as she inspected a recently cleaned glass.

Indeed, it was always her biggest fear that he was going to leave...and never come back. Just as he did during the events not so many months ago. But he never acted that way recently. He was good about calling, checking in...and coming back. So why now, were things so different? She admitted to herself more times than once that she cared for Cloud...probably more than she would ever say outloud to anyone else. They had spent the night together on the _Highwind_ before the battle with Sephiroth. Of course nothing happened, aside from them sleeping next to one another...

"Tifa, look!" Marlene suddenly piped in, holding up a picture she had recently finished.

"It's beautiful, Marlene!" Tifa exclaimed with a smile, "Let's hang it on the fridge for Cloud to see when he comes home!"

Marlene hopped off the stool, but turned to the older woman, "When IS Cloud coming home?!"

Tifa had to force herself to not show any form of sorrow, and instead smiled at the girl, "Soon. He promised, remember?"

At that, the young girl smiled, "He's gonna get another lecture, isn't he?"

"Of course!"

Marlene then bounded off to the kitchen, but quickly came running back at the familiar sound of a motorcycle approaching, "Cloud's here! Cloud's here!" She shouted. Even Denzel and Tifa stopped what they were doing and turned towards the door. And as soon as the door opened to reveal that familiar spiked head of yellow, the mood in the bar suddenly picked up. Even Tifa felt her heart soar a little, knowing that he was, indeed, home at last.

"Cloud!" Both Marlene and Denzel said, running out to bear-hug his legs before he even took two steps inside of the door. Neither of them seemed to notice right off that he was still covered in blood; something Tifa noticed a moment later.

"Hey, you two," The blonde said, patting both of their heads. He had stopped before to at least wipe the blood from his face and arms, but it still stained his clothes and sword in dried, cracked splotches of dark red.

"Cloud, what happened? Why are you covered in..." Denzel began,

"I'll tell ya later, buddy. Hey, Marlene," Here here crouched down, so he was eye-level with the girl, "I got a surprise for ya. But first you gotta go upstairs and wait in your room."

At this, Marlene's eyes sparkled, "A surprise!? What is it!?"

Cloud smiled, "Can't tell ya. Now go," And shooed her off towards the stairs.

"Cloud!" Denzel said, "My sword fighting's gotten better. Wanna see?"

"Tomorrow. It's late, and I'm tired. But I promise... tomorrow."

"Denzel," Tifa suddenly said, "why don't you go upstairs with Marlene?"

At that, Denzel knew that that meant she had something to discuss with the older male. So he nodded, and bounded off up the stairs. Once he was gone, Tifa stepped towards the blonde, "Cloud, what in the-"

But she was interrupted when Cloud stepped towards the door, "I'll tell ya in a bit, I promise." He then knocked twice on the front door, which promptly swung open to reveal Barret.

Tifa started to exclaim, when Barret silenced her with a finger to his lips, "How ya been, Tifa! Long time no say!" She stepped forward and gave him a brief hug, then he whispered, "Where's my daughter?"

Cloud pointed to the stairs, and Barret started for them. Tifa then pulled Cloud off to the side, "Cloud, what in the world happened!? You're covered in blood, and you haven't been picking up your phone, and-"

Cloud had to cut her off, "It's nothing, I just went to the church for a second, and got attacked by monsters. Barret and the WRO arrived and helped me drive them off."

"Saved his ass, more like!" They both heard Barret call from the stairs, followed by the excited squeals of Marlene.

"And what were you doing there, Cloud?" The brunette said, placing a hand on her hip.

Cloud inwardly winced, and decided to not tell her about his visions. Of Aerith, or of Sephiroth. She would just worry more. "Just wanted to make sure everything was all right. One of those funny feelings... you know?"

Why wouldn't things be all right at the church? Tifa narrowed her eyes, but silently accepted it. To her, there was only one reason why he would go back to that old church. Where for months, is where he lived. Because he couldn't get over Aerith. Could it be, that, the blonde still hadn't gotten over her?

"Well, go get yourself washed up. You know where your spare clothes are," Tifa had said.

"Yes, mom," Cloud replied with a smirk, and started to walk off, but paused. "Hey... Tifa?"

"Yes, Cloud?"

Here he paused and turned to face her fully, "I don't think I ever thanked you,"

"What do you mean?"

Here, Cloud's eyes softened, in a way that made Tifa lose her breath; never had he looked at her that way before.

"For always sticking by my side. For staying with me and taking care of me in Mideel...for helping me remember who I truly was. Even staying with me when I abandoned you all. Marlene, Denzel, Barret, all our friends... I don't think anyone else would have done that," Here he paused, and placed a bare palm on her shoulder, "Thank you, Tifa. You're as good a friend as any man could ask for," then turned and walked away.

A wild thrill shot through the fist fighter. That was the most physical contact the two had ever shared in years, ever since that night on the _Highwind_. True that they now they shared a bedroom, albeit two separate beds, he had never acted... _that_ way before. Nonetheless, she shook off the goosebumps, and set about quickly putting away the dishes before heading up to... _their _bedroom.

* * *

><p>For the next two weeks, life seemed to return to normal at the Seventh Heaven. Barret had left the next day after the slum church incident—much to Marlene's dismay—but returned a day later. "Plenty of oil fields and no new leads yet! Looks like I get a mini vacation!" He had said.<p>

As for Cloud, he continued to operate the delivery service, yet it was never far. Pick ups in Edge to be dropped off in Kalm, then to Junon, back to Kalm...the furthest he went was Fort Condor in the south. And while Tifa enjoyed it—he was never gone more than half a day, or at most was back the next—Cloud did not so much; shorter routes meant less money to support everyone. But at the same time he liked being around the family more, and Barret's presence certainly livened it up a bit.

Such as one night, when Tifa came to them, "It's gonna be slammed tonight and I need all the help I can get! Barret, would you please help in the kitchen?"

"Do I gotta wear an apron?" He had responded,

The sight of the large man in an apron made Tifa giggle, "Only if you want to! There's a pretty pink one behind the kitchen door for you!"

At that moment the aforementioned apron was thrown from the kitchen and over Barret's face. Barret yanked it off to see Cloud standing there, smirking, "It makes your eyes stand out, Barret!" Cloud said.

"Shut yer mouth, Chocobo-head!"


	4. Familia supra Omnia

**Author's Note: **Liking it? Hating it? Showing some potential or worse ideas ever? I welcome feedback and criticism of all sorts so I know to improve my writing or even quit while I'm ahead. Please? Also thank you Kairi Skyes, I will try not to disappoint!

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 4-<strong>

**Familia supra ****O****mnia**

"_Well I've heard that the Devil's walking around. I sold my soul way down in the dirt, _

_but stole it back and forever in Debt_

_And for a moment I don't even care, until I feel his breath at my Neck,"_

Two dark forms crawled through the tall grass, trying to remain as silent as possible. The sun had gone down several hours ago, but that did not mean they had to be any less stealthy. They stopped once they were on a hill, overlooking a small outpost town below. There were a few lights burning, but that is not what caught their attention. It was more the fact that, every twenty feet or so, was an armored truck, with a handful of men brandishing guns. They weren't ShinRa, and they were certainly not WRO; they looked more of a militia group.

One of the two men poked his head above the grass to try and get a better look. He wore a black suit and had a bald head, and despite the fact that it was night time, he wore a pair of dark sunglasses.

"Here, Rude," the second form said, handing the Turk a pair of night-vision binoculars. Rude accepted them with a nod, "Thanks, boss,"

Tseng silently nodded, and produced a second pair of binoculars, and pulled them up to his eyes.

Rude removed the shades and tucked them into his suit, then did the same. "I count fifteen trucks and over thirty men."

"Sixteen and fourty. You think that tanker truck there pumping oil is civilian?" Tseng corrected. Rude said nothing and continued to observe.

They were deep into the south, just west of Fort Condor. They had been sent there by the former President to gather intelligence of a possible mercenary band. Normally such a thing would not interest the Turks or the WRO, except that they had shown aggression towards both of them. This particular venture was based on a tip Rufus had received: apparently they had a large cache of materia as well. That spelled trouble for both the WRO, and possibly the Planet as well.

"Can't see much from here. We need to get closer," Tseng muttered, pushing a dark strand of hair from his eyes. He was sweaty, and dirty.

Rude said nothing, but followed behind the lead Turk. It was dangerous, and if they were spotted they could be captured... or worse.

Stealth wasn't something either men were particularly fond of or even used to in some time, but both understood the importance of the situation. And that aside, they had both been there for several days, collecting what intel they could from a distance. It wouldn't do well to be captured now. They were close now, less than ten feet from the armed men. At this distance, Rude could hear a couple of the men talking. And at this distance, one wrong step or motion and it would all be over with.

"So how 'bout those World Regenesis Order pansies, eh?" One henchman had said,

"Bunch of mama's boys wanting to 'save the planet.' Hah! I think it needs to die already so us chosen ones can start from scratch!" Another replied.

Both Turks heard this and gave each other a look. Letting the planet die? Chosen ones? Tseng started to motion for the two of them to back away, but something caught his eye. He looked up and what he saw caused his heart to skip a beat.

A man stepped into the faint torch light, wearing a black robe with silver shoulder protectors on the outside. He had short silver colored hair, a rifle across his back, and a blade on his belt. The men wielding the guns immediately silenced themselves and stood at attention. Behind him, two more men—both more heavily armed than the others—carried an open chest, full of materia.

"How are things out here?" The robed one said,

"All clear, boss! Nothing to report!"

The man nodded, "Good. Make sure it stays that way, or its into the Lifestream for all of you!"

"Rude, quick! That man!" Tseng hissed. Rude quickly took out a second device, which resembled a camera. He flicked on the night-vision and snapped as many shots as he could, before the silver-haired man turned and vanished from view. He also managed a few shots of the two men and the chest of materia. Afterward, Tseng made a hand motion, and the two Turks slid off into the night.

When they were all clear, both men stood up and started for a nearby brush pile, under which was a WRO truck. "Rude, did you get the pictures?"

"I did. Boss, do you think that guy was a-"

But Tseng cut him off, "Another Remnant? Doubtful...why would a Remnant carry a military-grade rifle?"

"A coincidence, then?" Rude pondered.

"Maybe. But there's also the other men talking about letting the Planet die. And did you see all of that materia? I'm pretty sure the boss will want to know everything."

After pulling the camouflage off the vehicle, they sped off to the North, back toward Edge.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Watch this, Cloud!"<p>

Denzel picked up his 'sword,' which was actually a bit of old pipe, and twirled it around above his head before bringing it down on the ground with a 'clank!' Cloud applauded a bit, then stepped over and showed Denzel a different way to do it. Tifa watched all of this from the door of the bar with a wide smile on her face. Cloud had just returned from a delivery to Junon, but he made a point to spend some time with the children as soon as he returned. The money he received went directly into their savings pot, for whatever it may be needed for. Overall the last two weeks for Cloud had been wonderful. He slept better than he could ever remember, and there were no more visions of Aerith, or Sephiroth; he decided to still not tell anyone else, for fear of making it worse or cause unnecessary worry.

Barret continued to stay periodically, often leaving but then returning the next day. Tifa did have to keep him out of the kitchen however, as he wasn't that great a cook, despite his claims. To Tifa, it felt like old times, before the Sector 7 plate had fell. Back when they thought the biggest threat to the Planet was the ShinRa Corporation.

At that moment, Barret appeared from around the corner with several bags clenched in both hands, Marlene close at his side carrying a smaller one. Tifa had sent the two on a grocery run.

"Hey, Spikey! What's up, lil' killer!?" He said, looking down at Denzel, who only grinned up at the man.

"You didn't get lost this time, Barret," Cloud said with a smirk, "You're getting better."

"Shut yer' trap!"

Tifa motioned for every one to come inside and begin prepping the bar for that night. It was the weekend, so the place was sure to be packed, or at the very least have more than the usual. It was a comforting place, after all. A place to unwind after a hard day's work. Where people could socialize, eat, and drink. Many people in the city were grateful for Tifa and the services and comforts she provided.

Marlene and Cloud set about putting the groceries away and setting out the basic items for cooking. Barret started to pull chairs off of the tables and push said tables around to spread them out a bit. Behind the bar, Denzel brought trays of clean glasses from the back, where Tifa picked them up and began to arrange them on the bar top and on the shelves.

When Tifa placed a stack of glasses on the shelf however, she noticed Cait Sith, still idly sitting there. And then it hit her. She was supposed to tell Cloud that Rufus had a message for him. But she was so caught up in him being home that she had forgotten completely. What with Cloud going from place to place dropping packages and her running the bar, she felt truly normal. Like there was nothing wrong in the world. The brunette turned to the open kitchen door, where Cloud picked up Marlene and held her up, so she could put a wrapped pack of chocobo meat on the shelf.

"He does need to know...but that was two weeks ago. Would it even matter now?" She whispered to herself,

"Hey, Tifa! What are ya', talking to yerself now?" Barret said from the other side of the bar. She turned around and softly giggled at him, "Used to it, you know? Being by yourself sometimes the only person you CAN talk to is yourself." She had attempted to cover it up.

It worked, as Barret laughed, and went back to moving chairs around, "I heard that!"

* * *

><p>Later that night, the bar slowly began to fill up with patrons. When the bar got slammed, Cloud attempted to step in and help pour drinks, but found he wasn't very good when the complaints started rolling in. "This drink's too strong!" Or, "did you even POUR liquor in here?" Tifa had to shoo the blonde from the bar and instead assigned him to the kitchen. Barret and Denzel ran around to collect empty glasses and plates, money, and tips. Marlene sat by the phone and answered calls, for people whom simply wanted food to go.<p>

"Oi! Is it always this crazy in here!?" Barret called above the clamor of people talking and laughing.

"You should've been here last month!" Denzel yelled as loud as he could, "Some man grabbed Tifa and she had to throw him out!" The boy pointed to a section of the outer wall, which, Barret noted, was a darker color than the wall around it, "Threw him right through the wall!" Barret got a long laugh out of that, from the mental picture alone.

* * *

><p>After a while, it started to calm down, and Tifa could step away from the bar when her PHS suddenly went off. She stepped into the back room and flipped open the phone; she didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"<p>

"Tifa, its Reeve,"

"Reeve! Why didn't you start up Cait?"

There was a short chuckle on the other end, "I did, and I couldn't even hear myself think. So I thought it would be better to call. Where is Cloud?"

Tifa's heart stopped, simply because she worried he was angered for not telling the blonde about the message, "He's helping me in the kitchen. Do you need to speak with-"

"Please, its really important."

Tifa stepped into the kitchen, where Cloud and Denzel were flouring some unknown meat and dropping it into a deep fryer. Cloud looked up and questioned the look on her face, "Tifa, what's-"

She cut him off and handed him the cell phone, "It's Reeve, he said its important?" Then stepped away to tend the bar.

After Cloud had cleaned his hands of flour he took the phone and placed it to his ear, "It's Cloud. Long time no see, Reeve."

"Speak for yourself, Cloud. I take it you didn't get my message."'

Cloud raised an eyebrow, growing suspicious, "What message?"

There was a pause, and Cloud heard the other man sigh slightly, "Never mind. Listen, Rude and Tseng found out something, they just got back tonight. Rufus wants you here tomorrow."

Cloud scoffed, "What would Rufus want with me that's so important?" All he could think was that the ex-president had no right to order him anywhere. "Besides, I have a delivery tomorrow morning, and-"

"Cloud, trust me. You'll want to hear everything. It's probably nothing major, but still. I insisted on Rufus sharing the information with you."

"And you can't tell me over the phone?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Please."

Cloud sighed and rubbed his temples. "Fine. I'll be there in the morning." And snapped the phone shut.

At his side, Denzel looked worried, "Cloud, who was that? What's wrong?"

Cloud went back to preparing meat, focusing on that instead of looking at the boy, "It was Reeve. Rufus wants to meet tomorrow.

Despite the barrage of questions Denzel began to ask, Cloud said nothing.

* * *

><p>Cloud was the first one awake the next morning. He quickly scribbled a note onto a piece of paper and left it on his bed for Tifa to see:<p>

"_Tifa, went to meet Rufus, then have to make a delivery to Kalm. Be back before dinner. Don't worry. - Cloud."_

Cloud then climbed onto the parked Fenrir and pulled out his PHS. He dialed a number and waited. When the voice picked up, he said, "It's Strife. Listen, I can't make the delivery on the time I agreed, but I can get it there before-" He paused as the irate woman on the other end suddenly began yelling and going on about how 'I needed it here before eight o' clock' and 'I'm paying good money for it to be here on time' and so on.

The blonde had to bite his lip, as he already didn't want to go and meet with Rufus. He obviously wasn't going to tell the customer the real reason the delivery was delayed, so all he said was, "A family emergency came up. Your package will be there before three. Just take two-hundred gil off the price, okay?" And slammed the phone shut. Fenrir rumbled to life and he took off for the WRO building.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>"So you think Cloud will actually show? Reeve sounded pretty sincere and... desperate even!" Elena said, apparently more to the air than to herself. Because across from her, the redhead wasn't even paying attention to her.<p>

Reno plucked a cigarette from his jacket pocket and promptly lit it, much to the dismay of the blonde female behind him. He was staring out the open window at the city below. Cranes and heavy trucks and other sorts of machinery began to move around parts of Edge, raising great pillars of steel to reconstruct the city itself. The pair were only ten stories up, but it was still an impressive view.

Reno was suddenly brought back to reality as Elena had run up and swiped the cigarette from his mouth, it flying out the window. "You know the boss doesn't allow smoking in here anymore!" She shrieked, trying to, as always, be the professional one.

Reno glared at the woman, but merely pulled another cigarette, "Relax, chick! What boss-man doesn't know ain't gonna hurt him!" He then pulled a tiny silver flask from his back pocket and poured an unknown liquid into his mouth. He coughed a couple times, then grinned at the now-glaring Elena, "Suppose you're gonna tell me I'm not allowed to drink on the job either?"

"It's not very professional! And besides... that stuff is horrible!"

Reno raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "To each their own. Besides, didn't you used to bartend at the Wall Market?"

Elena started to say something, but her ear-piece suddenly went off, "Yes? Uh-huh." A pause. "Right. I'll tell the boss. Send him up."

"Let me guess, Cloud's here?"

Elena was too busy punching a number into a handheld device, then she clicked her ear-piece back on, "Sir, its me. He's here and on the way up." Another pause. "Roger that."

"Guess that's a yes. Great! Be good to see another serious business blonde."

A few minutes later, the elevator dinged and the doors parted to reveal Cloud. Reno noted that he had brought one of his trademark blades with him. "Welcome back to paradise, Cloud!" He said with a grin.

Cloud stepped forward, keeping on alert. He was sure Reeve wouldn't lead him into a trap, but that didn't mean he trusted the Turks any more than before, "Where's Rufus?"

"Straight to business as always, huh?" Reno laughed, "You can't say hi to an old buddy? Come on! We had some fun in the past two years, didn't we?"

Elena stepped in before Cloud turned to leave, which is just what he was about to do, "The president is this way, Cloud," And she motioned to the set of double doors off to the side. When Cloud didn't move, she and Reno headed for the doors, with the male blonde right behind them. Cloud looked up and noted that above the doors, was the WRO logo as well the old ShinRa Corporation symbol.

Cloud stepped into a room that resembled a stereotypical business office. Behind a dark brown desk sat Rufus, still donning the white robes and bandages, though his hood was pulled down to reveal his face. To his right was a large window that showed both Edge, and what remained of the old ShinRa tower. Reeve stood next to him, and motioned for Cloud to step forward, "I'm glad you're here, Cloud!"

At that, Rufus looked up from his paperwork, "Welcome, Cloud,"

Cloud stepped up to the desk, but kept the two Turks always in his sights, "Reeve said this was important. You vanish into this Tower and seem to have no use for anyone. What's going on, Rufus?"

Rufus chuckled, "You haven't changed at all." Rufus wheeled around to face the window, where he sat and seemed to marvel at the view of the city. "Have you heard anything of this supposed uprising in the south?" When Cloud gave no indication, Rufus continued, "There is an apparent militant group that are now stationed in Junction Town."

Junction Town was a small outpost, built by Rufus' father, west of Fort Condor. It was built as a rendezvous point for the ShinRa army from Junon and across the sea. After the army's defeat at Fort Condor by Cloud's party, the place was abandoned.

At this, Cloud began to feel his frustration rise. "And why can't the WRO handle this? What does this have to do with me?"

Reeve stepped forward, and removed a brown envelope from his coat, "This is why we called you here, Cloud." He opened up the envelope and threw several photos across the desk. When Cloud stepped closer to look. He saw a man with silver-colored hair. He saw armored convoys and men holding military guns and weapons. But what caught his attention was a chest full of materia.

"That man..." Cloud said, pointing to one of the pictures. "Who is he? He's not another Remnant, is he?"

"We don't know," Rufus replied, "But we believe he is the leader of this group. And if they intend to use that materia, it will put further strain on the planet."

Cloud silently agreed. Since the magic was drawn from the Lifestream and raw Mako energy, heavy magic use would only put the Planet in a worse state, "You never answered my question. Why can't the World Regenesis Order handle this? They look like little more than mercenaries."

Reeve cleared his throat, "Our hands are tied at the moment. You understand we are still just an infant organization, at least... compared to the old ShinRa army."

Rufus interrupted, he still hadn't moved from the spot by the window. "Wouldn't it be a shame if all of this..." He paused, and slowly swept his hand across the window, to emphasize the entirety of Edge, "...was suddenly swept away? Everything we have worked, and still work, to build and prosper."

Cloud felt his impatience growing again, "What do you want with me, Rufus?"

Here the wheelchair turned so that Rufus could see into the warrior's eyes, "Help us to fight them off. All attempts at contact have ended with violence and gunfire. I may need you sooner than you think,"

Cloud grunted, and turned his back to Rufus, beginning to walk away, "I'm no one's bodyguard anymore. I deliver packages."

"Ohhhh so you're still just a glorified mail-man? The Chocobo Express! Hah!" Reno suddenly chimed in. Cloud would have knocked the redhead down, but Rufus' voice stopped him,

"What if it involved your little family, Cloud?" Here, Cloud paused. "All I am asking is to stay available. We're attempting to solve this problem before it gets worse. But we may need your help. As for the silver-haired man, it is unlikely he is another Remnant. He uses military weapons. But that doesn't make this any less of a threat."

Cloud stopped and turned as he got to the door. He stared hard at the faces before him. Reno, Elena, Reeve, Rufus... he was unsure of what to do right then. No one then knew what this group's intentions were. Or if they would ever try to storm Edge. If it came to that, of course he would protect his family. And that silver haired man...who was he?

"Keep me updated," was the last thing Cloud said before he left, slamming the double doors behind him.


	5. A Seed of Chaos

**Author's note**: I do sincerely apologize for having not updated in so long. I blame a combination of internet and computer issues...and a severe case of writer's block. Hopefully I can get this ball rolling again. Also, from this point on in the story, it will gradually (or suddenly, depending on my mood at time of writing) become more dark and gritty, which may lead to me having to change the content rating to M. Just a small forewarning. Hopefully those who follow this story enjoy where I attempt to take it.

Also, if some of the dialogue seems to repeat itself, I apologize for that too. I am not so used to writing original characters, or coming up with names on the fly.

**-Chapter 5-  
><span>A<span> Seed of Chaos**

"_What if this whole crusade's a charade? And behind it all there's a price to be paid_

_For the blood on which we dine, justified in the name of the Holy and Divine?_

_Just how deep do you believe? Will you bite the hand that feeds?"_

* * *

><p>"Sir, the new recruits are gathered and accounted for,"<p>

"Very good. I'll be there shortly. Keep them in line until then,"

The inside of the tent was hot, the heat coming from several lit candles scattered around it which served as the only light source. A solid wood table with several maps and books occupied the very center of the space. Over which was bent a man, slender in form, with a black robe which split in two at his waist, held together by a belt which sheathed a blade, and a few pouches containing various items. His short silver hair stopped just above his eyes, and a hood which was pulled down behind him.

The man standing at the entrance of the tent could be mistaken as a simple mercenary, though he carried an air of authority about him, not the least of which being a long ropey scar, which stretched from his left temple to his right cheek. He brandished a compact machine gun, and a pistol at his side, "Think you'll have better luck with this lot than the last, sir?" He asked.

The other man said nothing, only continued to look over the maps across the table. He would trace patterns from one end to the next, muttering some things the other male couldn't quite hear; yet he knew better than to question his leader.

"Do you know why we're here, Edward?" The silver haired man finally asked,

The man called Edward paused for a moment, then continued, "To get rid of the World Regenesis Order and capture-"

He was interrupted when the other man suddenly banged both fists on the table, causing a couple candles to tilt over and land harmlessly in the dirt, "No, you fool! Why are we here!?"

Edward gulped, feeling a bit of sweat begin to form on the back of his neck, "To...to return the Planet to its natural state and begin anew...sir."

The other man seemed please, as he chuckled, then finally stood straight and faced his commander, "Right you are, Edward. I can see I picked a good man as my general!" He then made for the exit of the tent, Edward leaning away as he passed, then following him out.

* * *

><p>The clearing was full of people of varying ethnicity, many of them seated, others standing, but all conversing among themselves. Some anxious, some nervous, as they were surrounded by armed men. Some had tried to leave and paid for it with the butt end of a rifle, leading many others to think they were being held prisoner. There were men, young and old, and several young boys, not much older then twelve, from all corners of the world, some from even as far as Wutai. Each of them had a story of their own. Some were stowaways on ships, trying to sneak into the eastern lands in hopes of a better life. Some had come as hired workhands for Edge City, and either did what they were hired to do, or could not. Many people with nothing left of their lives, they thought.<p>

Except to be here, in this clearing. They were promised eternal salvation and paradise, told to them by the armed men who had gathered them up. Promises of a leader who could turn the Planet anew, with a fresh beginning to all who were willing to join his cause. Many felt they had nothing left to lose, as the rest of the world had seemed to give up on them. Others actually believed this, and were more than willing to hear what this mysterious leader had to say.

At the center of this clearing was a makeshift stage, built of stacked bricks held together with mortar, and surrounded by four bonfires which illuminated much of the area. On the backdrop was a statue, made of sticks, mud, stones, grass, and other such things. It appeared to be the crude shape of a woman, though she didn't appear to have any arms, and no legs to speak of. The only thing that made it appear to be female was the general craft of the bodice, and the long green tendrils of hair, made up of weeds and willow branches.

A hooded figure slowly approached the stage, and the armed men called for total silence. As the dark form took the stage, a hush fell over the crowd. All could hear the heavy boots thudding on the wood and brick. The figure stood silent at first, observing the crowd assembled before them. Then he suddenly threw his hands into the air, and proclaimed, "Welcome, friends!"

When the cloaked form was satisfied he had the mob's full attention, he continued, "You all know that this planet is in a pathetic, futile state! Every day all goodness of this world seems to fade, while evil continues to grow in power," here he paused, and pointed to the northwest, towards the direction of Midgar, "And that evil is the World Regenesis Order!"

He threw back his hood to reveal his silver colored hair, which brought a few gasps of shock from the crowd. The man grinned, and continued, "They build their cities and their towns, they outlaw the use of magic, and they call it saving the planet. But they're robbing the world of what keeps it alive: its natural resources!" He paused again for effect, then, "The steel and iron for their skyscrapers. The coal for their weapons of war which they strip mine from the mountains of Nibelheim! They burn and salt the grasslands to expand their own iron cities, and for what! The only evil in this world is what they bring upon themselves!"

There was a brief silence, when a man stood up from the crowd, "Weapons of war? Then where did all of your men get their guns from!? Are they toys made from plastic and glass?! If what you say is true, then what makes you any different from the WRO?"

At this the silver haired man drew a pistol from his robe and fired a single shot into the air, the noise echoed several times, causing some of the children to cower behind their older counter-parts, "I assure you these weapons are very real, my friend. But they are confiscated from the enemies of the planet."

"It's taken many months to accumulate this many weapons," he continued, "and all for the betterment of mankind!" As he holstered his pistol, he turned to face the statue behind him, "You all know of the great Sephiroth! Who wanted nothing more than to lead the people of this world to a new place. To create a new future for us all!"

At this the crowd began to grew restless, and the men brandishing guns held them at a readier grip. Another man stepped forward, "More of a raging lunatic! He nearly destroyed us all! And for what? Was he going to magically make a new planet?"

The one on stage ignored him, and continued to look upon the mound of grass and stones before him, "Yet it was all for naught. The usurper by the name of Cloud, robbed him of that birthright! Had he succeeded... Sephiroth would have lead us all to the Promised Land. There would be no more suffering...no more poverty... our children wouldn't be malnourished! His... our Mother, wanted that from the beginning. Yet evil always seems to prevail. But no more!"

Here he turned to again face the crowd, but lowered his voice to a more hushed tone, "My friends, that era is over. Don't you see? The WRO parades in front of the media, in front of the public, and promises hope of a better future. Yet they do nothing but make it worse. Join me, and together we will fulfill the destiny Sephiroth was robbed of!"

This time, a pale, lanky man stepped forward, clearly a native of Wutai, and began to speak in a tongue none understood. Edward stepped forward, and roughly translated to his leader: "The planet is already dead and dying, magic has not been used in some time. Prove that you are no different than us!"

The robed one snapped his fingers, and not a moment later, two men brought onto the stage a silver chest, laid it down, then departed. The silver haired man kicked open the chest, and pushed it to the front of the stage for all to see: several multi-colored orbs, glowing with a bright light like the bonfires around them.

"You desire proof, native? Very well!" He then bent down and picked up a green orb, and pulled back the sleeve of his right arm, revealing a small device with a circular slot. The materia was then inserted into the slot, and began to give off a faint neon glow. "Behold the powers of the Lifestream!"

He then turned and aimed his outstretched fist at a nearby guard. The guard barely had time to realize what was about to happen before he was engulfed in flame, the pained screams going on for several long minutes before he collapsed in a still-burning heap.

Satisfied, the leader again turned to the crowd, but not before scooping up a red materia and thrusting it out before the mob, who in turn all shrank back in shock, "This is the power that will eliminate our foes! This is the power Sephiroth and our mother used to make this planet new!" He then paused a final time.

"You can live in my new world... or die in your old one," then he left the stage without another word.

* * *

><p>"How long until the convoys are ready to move out?"<p>

Edward stood at attention, "A few more hours, sir, but they'll be ready by daybreak!"

The hooded one grunted in annoyance, "Make it sooner. Shall we go knocking on our enemy's front door in the middle of the day?" He pointed with a gloved finger to the east of their intended target, "And what of here? Are Reij's men in place?"

Edward shifted slightly, which brought a look of malice from his leader, "They... haven't yet left, sir."

At this, the silver haired one shot up from his seat, sending the wooden chair backward and through the back of the tent. "Bring him here. Now." Edward shrunk back, then quickly fled to fetch the other man.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Edward returned to the tent, "Sir, Reij is here."<p>

"Send him in."

In strode a man of muscular build, with cropped, light hair. "You summoned me, your grace?"

The silver haired one sat in another chair, though it more resembled a small throne, with two torches on either side, "Reij. You were ordered to be-"

"I am aware of that, boss-man." Reij interrupted.

Edward began to reach for his pistol, but the leader halted him, "You have balls, Reij. I can almost respect that. I'll ask you one time, then. Why have you not left?"

The man called Reij folded his arms behind his back, "Clearly your ears don't reach as far as you think. An uprising among the new recruits. Seems some of them don't agree with your little speech earlier."

At this, the leader turned to his general with narrowed eyes, "Is this true, Edward?"

"I... didn't think you'd want to be bothered with it, sir. And besides, we-"

Again the silver haired one shot up, "Of course I want to be bothered with it! Do you think I want everything I have built to fall apart because of a few low life peasants and starving children!?"

"How shall we deal with them, then?" Reij asked, though he and Edward already knew the answer.

"The same as all the others," the leader replied. "Kill them, and do it in front of all the others. Let them know that is the price of betrayal, and desertion. My power will not go into question ever again."

Reij departed to carry out the order, "As you command, sir."

"You really convinced those nuts you're a Sephiroth remnant. Good work, sir!" A nearby guardsman replied. At this, a stiff silence fell over the tent. Even the sound of the crackling torches and candles seemed to silent.

"Do you doubt my powers, grunt?"

The guardsman paused a second, "N-No sir, of course not! I mean..." The man had seen his leader bleed in combat before, so he knew for certain that he was, in fact, just a man. Yet somehow he held sway over people who did not know better.

"So you think that just any mortal man can wield the power of the Lifestream?" Here the robed one stood up, and advanced slowly to the other man. Edward held his tongue; he knew the price of opening his mouth right then.

Then in the guardsman, all fear seemed to go out the window. As if he already accepted his fate. That no matter what he said or did, he was a dead man regardless. "You know as well as I do that you're not what you claim. Any fool could use materia at one point... you forget I was in the ShinRa army. Whatever game you're playing, it won't-"

He was suddenly silenced forever, as a soft 'thump' was heard in the tent. When the silver haired man stepped away, the guardsman was left with a dagger protruding from his heart. He only stood there a moment, before he fell over, dead.

Edward merely turned away as the body hit the dirt, he was used to such things. After a moment, he stepped toward the table and asked, "What of the other threat, sir?"

There was a long pause, as horrible and twisted thoughts swirled around the head of the robed one. "I have a very special plan for him. I'm going to take him out of the picture permanently. I'm going to take away the one thing that's most precious to him...his family!"

**~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~**

_Cloud tossed and turned in his bed, unable to find a comfortable sleeping position. His dreams were filled with fire, death... of napalm burned bodies being devoured by wild monsters. _

_He suddenly shot up in his bed, and looked around. Not ten feet away was Tifa, sleeping peacefully in her own bed. All was silent at the Seventh Heaven. After listening for a few minutes, he laid back down, satisfied. Yet even as he closed his eyes, he heard another voice, "Cloud... wake up."_

_The blonde shot his eyes open, to see Aerith standing at the foot of his bed, a warm smile on her face, "Everything is about to change, Cloud."_

_Cloud blinked, then sat up. But he was quickly pushed back down as Aerith climbed on top of him, and pinned him down. "Wha...what are you doing?" He asked._

_She simply placed a finger to her lips to silence him. Then slowly she reached out to touch his cheek. _

_Before Cloud's eyes completely shut, the vision of Aerith was instead replaced with Sephiroth, who quickly reached out and took Cloud by the throat in a firm grip._

"_Did you think confining yourself to a false normality would get rid of me, Cloud? You're more foolish than I thought."_

_Before Cloud could raise his arms in protest, he felt two pairs of hands holding them down. His heart stopped, as he glanced around to see both Aerith and Zack holding his arms and legs down. Aerith still sustained the stab wound in her midsection, and he noted blood flowed freely down her dress, legs, and onto the floor. Zack was riddled with bullet holes, which also leaked blood from the wounds._

"_You failed me, Cloud..." Cloud heard Zack's voice speak, but he noted it was Sephiroth who was actually speaking._

"_You should have gotten there sooner. Maybe then I would still be alive." Aerith's voice this time, still it was Sephiroth's lips that were moving._

_The leather of Sephiroth's gloves stretched as he tightened his grip, and Cloud could quickly felt his life force draining from him. The entire time, Aerith and Zack continued to smile at him, as though nothing was wrong in the world. _

"_They are under my control now, Cloud." Finally, Sephiroth's own voice rang in Cloud's ears, "And when I finally return, your precious family will be the next thing I take from you."_

_Under the crushing weight, Cloud fought as best he could, but was unable to move. All he could do was stare deep into his enemy's eyes, with all the fire and hatred of a thousand Meteor's._

_Sephiroth merely chuckled, "The dark will take this world. And it will all be your fault."_

Cloud suddenly shot awake, though he did not move from where he was. He continued to lay flat, though his entire body was coated in sweat. His pillow and sheets were also drenched, and his heart beat faster than he could keep up with. Like last time, he still had no distinguishable marks on him, but his arms and throat still ached. Like it was all real.

Tifa slowly sat up in the next bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, "Cloud, are you okay?"

It took Cloud a moment to find his breath, but he managed to turn his head and force a small smile to the brunette, "I'm fine, Tifa. Just a bad dream." Here he stood up, and tucked her back into bed. He knew he wouldn't be going back to sleep for a while. "Just going to get some air. I'll see you in the morning." Tifa seemed content, and immediately rolled over and went back to sleep.

Cloud then silently crept out the door and down the stairs towards the bar. He needed a stiff drink, even though he knew it wouldn't have much affect on him.


	6. Stratagem

**Author's note: **A recent review had requested more Cloud saving Tifa moments. To that person: I already have a chapter pre-written and thought out that I think you will enjoy very much. Just bear with me. Until then, I will try and sneak a little something into this chapter for you.

To all others: reviews help to continue inspiration, and actually wanting to continue the story, whether its criticism or not. If one only gets one review for every three chapters then it seems like a waste of time, that no one is even reading it. I don't beg often, but please. Shoot me a review!

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 6-<strong>

**Stratagem**

_Lookin' at you, lookin' at me, the way you move, you know it's easy to see, the neon light's on me tonight_

_I've got a way, we're gonna prove it tonight_

_Like Romeo to Juliet, time and time I'm gonna make you mine_

* * *

><p>The night air was cool, and quiet. Stars loomed and twinkled overhead, silent watchers of the world below. A slender female form moved through the grass, silent as the night. She positioned herself on a small plateau which held a good view of the land below. She had been tasked to track the movements of a militia group, stationed in the southlands. It had proven to be a boring mission so far. For the longest time all that could be heard were the sounds of crickets, and the occasional howling of a warg out in the distance.<p>

The woman propped herself against a tree and heaved a sigh, pulling out her cell phone only after making sure the light would not be seen by anyone. She had considered calling a few of the contacts in her phone, but given the time it would be a wasted effort. Besides, she was supposed to be on a top secret mission! Black ops operatives don't behave in that way!

She suddenly shot up as the heard the faint rumble of truck engines in the distance. She surveyed the area beneath her, and spotted another clump of shrubbery and a single tree. Opting to take the chance of being seen but gathering better results, the woman jumped down and quickly hid amongst the greenery, just as headlights appeared over the ridge to her right. But it wasn't the truck that surprised her, and caused her heart to skip a beat. But rather, it was how MANY trucks there were. She crouched lower, and produced a camera from her backpack, and quickly began snapping photos. Each truck had at least twenty or so men on it, each one armed to the teeth, with various weaponry at their disposal. She snapped photos of grenade launchers, rocket launchers, 50. caliber mounted turret guns, even what appeared to be a miniature nuke, and a mysterious device larger than the truck that carried it. She decided this was the thing intended to launch what she suspected was the nuke.

The woman watched this for several long minutes, having already counted at least one-hundred trucks, if not more, and all of them driving at a break-neck pace. After a few more minutes, she opted to retreat and return to the cliff she was before. Once she had reached the top, she began to leave, but paused a moment to look once more at the convoy. Most of the trucks veered off toward the northwest, but the final ten in the line continued straight, Continued north.

"Damn! This isn't good at all!" Yanking the phone back out of her pocket, she quickly dialed a number as she took off running after the ten trucks, who were headed for Kalm. She had to get back to Edge and report on what she had found.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>The following week yielded nothing surprising or out of the ordinary around the bar. After Cloud's last 'encounter' with his nemesis, he was either spontaneously active in the goings on of the family, or, on occasion, he would stay out later than Tifa had been used to in the last month or so. Cloud would often simply park his bike somewhere outside of the city, and think quietly to himself for hours at a time. Not picking up his phone, for want of wanting nothing than to be by himself.<p>

Tifa had obviously questioned this, and her concern grew each time he had stayed out later than expected. His attitude had not changed, however, as he still spent time with the kids when he was around. All Cloud could tell her was that he had been really tired lately. In reality, he was beginning to break down from all of the bad dreams. A week ago he had thought all was going back to normal. Then he was 'attacked' in his own bed. Yet despite it all, he had stayed away from the slum church, having decided that going there in the first place was what started all of this madness.

Cloud also had not told Tifa of the truth of his meeting with Rufus. He said nothing of the militia group, the silver haired man, the materia, none of it. Of course the brunette pressed him when he returned that night, but all Cloud had told her was the former president had wanted him to deliver several packages across the sea to the east. When questioned as to why he refused, the answer Tifa got was, "That would mean being gone for two or three weeks at a time, and I don't want to be away from you or the kids that long." Tifa accepted the answer with a big smile, and a skip of her heart.

The blonde had also not heard from Rufus since their last meeting, and he wished he never did. But very rarely does one get what they want. Or in this case, not get what they don't want.

"Cloud, could you hand me that bottle by the register?"

Cloud snapped out of his thoughts, and picked up a liquor bottle to hand it to Tifa, who placed it behind the bar amongst the other bottles.

"Hey... where's the kids? And Barret?" Cloud asked, deciding to help Tifa by dusting off the bar top.

Tifa continued to rearrange bottles behind the bar as she spoke, "I sent Marlene and Denzel out on a small grocery run, and Barret left a note this morning. Reporting to Reeve on a new oil field lead." She paused, and turned to face the male, "Cloud, are you sure you're okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been acting... different. Like... how you used to, you know?"

Cloud said nothing at first, but dropped the duster onto the bar. All he could think about was this military group. That they could attack the city, and that would mean Tifa and the kids would be in danger. And also of Sephiroth. As hard as he tried to push the apparition out of his mind, he had slowly begun to accept that it was never going to end.

"Cloud?" Tifa's voice brought him back to reality again. It was all he could do to force a smile.

"Just a lot going on, Tifa. All of the deliveries, running low on cash..." Here Cloud paused, and stepped onto the other side of the bar, sitting across from the female. "How can a man take care of his family, when he gets short pay for long runs? He doesn't get enough to support his family but also has to stay away from them for so long."

Tifa felt her heart melt a little bit, "We have everything we need, Cloud," Here she leaned over the bar to put a hand over his, though quickly withdrew it, "We may not have much, but then again, who does? So long as we stick together through thick and thin, that's what matters, right?"

Cloud nodded, though the smile had faded from his face, "Right."

* * *

><p>The children returned a little later, and the four of them again began putting things away...just as they had every day for almost three weeks now. But what they didn't expect was someone banging on the front door of the bar later that afternoon. This struck every one as odd, because the door was unlocked.<p>

"The door's open!" Cloud called from the kitchen.

The knocking continued, harder than before. Tifa came down the stairs to investigate the noise, "What's going on?" She asked, only to hear the loud knocking again. Tifa started for the door, her muscles tensed and ready for an attack. Cloud even stepped from the kitchen to watch, his adrenaline picking up, ready for the unexpected.

Tifa slowly turned the handle of the door, and flung it open.

Only to find herself being bear-hugged by a smaller framed woman, "Hiya, Tifa! Long time no say!"

Tifa caught herself off-guard, but returned the hug once she realized who it was. Cloud even sighed a bit in relief, but quickly drew back to the kitchen lest he be seen.

"Yuffie!" Marlene suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs, who ran out and was scooped up by the ninja into a hug.

Denzel also came down the stairs to investigate, and only shyly waved at Yuffie, who quickly stepped over and hugged him too. Denzel's face turned red and he quickly drew away.

"Where's that spiked head? Ah, there he is!" Yuffie quickly dashed around the bar and into the kitchen to hug Cloud, who was busy trying to package meat for the freezer. He grunted in annoyance, but very briefly hugged her shoulders with one arm.

"Yuffie, its so good to see you! But what are you doing here? We all thought you went back to Wutai." Tifa said,

Yuffie bounced about with Marlene in her arms, much to the little girls delight, then finally said, "Well I heard about the militia group in the south, so I came here to check on all my friends! I heard Barret was here too, where is he!?"

A hushed silence suddenly fell over the bar. Tifa's eyes turned to Cloud, who had since returned to the bar, but now regretted it, "What militia group?"

Yuffie paused for a moment, a confused look on her face, "Cloud didn't tell you? I talked to Reeve earlier, who said he and Rufus told Cloud all about it! A militia group lead by a silver haired man down at Junction Town, and-" She would have continued, but Tifa had cut her off, now glaring at the blonde male at the corner of the bar.

"You told me that Rufus only wanted you to deliver packages," Tifa began, one of her hands clenching into a tight fist, so that her knuckles began to turn white, "You lied to me, and you lied to the children. Why, Cloud?!"

Yuffie could only slowly tap her feet, and force her eyes elsewhere, "Awkwaaaaaard,"

"Marlene, Denzel," Tifa spoke again in a commanding tone, "In your room. Now." The children didn't hesitate to run up the stairs, once the sound of the slamming door was heard, Tifa continued,

"You're becoming just like how you used to be, Cloud. Staying gone longer than you say, not picking up your phone, and now lying to me? Does Barret even know of this... militia?"

"Actually..." Yuffie piped in, though she had sense taken refuge behind the bar, for fear of being attacked by either of her friends, "Reeve kinda sorta told Barret already who called me who demanded to know everything..and I may or may not have told him everything...and now he's P.O'd and coming back here. I'd watch out if I were you, Cloud!"

At this, Cloud simply dove his face into his palms, not wanting to even look at Tifa. He wished he was anywhere but there right then, "I'm sorry, Tifa, I was going to tell you but I didn't know how."

"Were you going to wait until it was too late? Until they were storming the city itself?" Tifa's tone had raised, so that the children upstairs even heard her.

"You don't understand, Tifa!" Here Cloud suddenly stood up from his seat, causing even Tifa to shrink back a bit, "I didn't think anything would come of it. That the WRO would deal with it. I told Rufus to let me know if anything had happened. Then I would have told you!" He paused, and turned to Yuffie, his eyes narrowing, "Wait... how do YOU know about it? And why didn't you call? You have our numbers!"

"That doesn't even matter, Cloud! What matters is you lied about something really important!" Tifa shouted,

Yuffie began to say something, but was cut off at the sudden slamming of a door. All eyes turned to the entrance to see Barret shove the door aside and storm in, a wild look in his eyes, "Damn it to hell, chocobo head! Why didn't you tell me!? You think I didn't have a right to know if some army was gonna attack the city!? My daughter is here!"

Barret continued to stomp toward Cloud, obviously intent on swinging on him. Cloud drew back to defend himself, but the other male was stopped when Tifa threw herself between them, "Enough!"

Yuffie continued to idly tap her boot on the hard floor, "Awwwwwwawkwaaaard. Oh hi Barret!"

Barret didn't even acknowledge her, all he wanted to do right then was to black Cloud's eye with his metal fist.

Before that could happen, a faint 'click' was heard, and Cait Sith suddenly jumped onto the counter in front of them all, "Oi, what's all this ruckus, then?"

"Not a good time, Reeve," Tifa simply said,

But the toy doll shook his head, "Afraid I have ta' disagree, lass, there is no better time!" The toy then jumped down onto a bar stool between Barret and Cloud, who were, as Cait noted, were ready to kill each other, "Tha' president has some new info from an informant! Something ya all will want ta' know! He wants to see all four of ya at once!"

Barret turned to the small toy, still seething and angry, the thought of riddling the cat with bullets seemed very pleasing right then, "And what about my daughter, eh Shinra!?"

"I'll watch over tha' children until tha' meetin' is over! I'm serious! You all need ta' get to tha' WRO tower right now!"

"Everything will be explained... I promise," Cloud responded in a hushed tone, trying to defuse the heated situation,

Barret continued to glare at the blonde, "Damn it, Spikey, it better! You and Rufus got a lot of explaining to do!"

"Let's just go, and get it over with," Tifa responded, shooing both men out the door, but keeping herself between Cloud and Barret.

Before Yuffie walked out the door, she turned to Cait, who was headed for the stairs, "You sure this will work, Reeve?"

"Aye, we can only hope, lassie! Cloud may be our only hope!"

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>The elevator dinged, and out clambered the four companions, though not one of them had said a single word since leaving the bar. With Cloud in the lead, they stepped up to a desk, where a female receptionist in a black suit was rapidly typing into a computer terminal. She looked like a Turk, but none of the four knew her face,<p>

"Mr. Strife? The president is expecting you. I believe you already know where to go," And gestured to her left.

Cloud lead the others through the doors, which were quickly flung open from the other side. They were met with the sight of Rufus behind his desk, who was on a phone. To his right stood Tseng, arms behind his back, and watching the newcomers carefully.

Before Cloud and the others came within ear shot, Rufus muttered goodbyes and quickly hung up the phone, then beckoned them forward, "I'm glad you're all here. Please, seat," and gestured to four leather backed seats, conveniently placed before his desk.

Before the group had even gotten five steps into the door, "What have you learned, Rufus?"

"What the hell is up with this militia group?"

"Why doesn't the rest of Edge know already? They have a right to know!"

"Some people are saying a small group are headed this way!"

Rufus was barraged with a slew of similar questions, but kept his eyes upon the paperwork before him. After a moment, he simply responded, "I take it Cloud has not told any of you, then?" He chuckled, then turned to Yuffie, and continued, "You only know because of Reeve," then to Barret, "and you only know because the Wutai girl cannot keep her mouth shut," and finally, to Tifa, "and the rage in your eyes tells me you know only because of word of mouth..."

Barret quickly stepped forward, the intent of disassembling his arm and aiming it right at Rufus. Tseng quickly stepped between the man and Rufus with a drawn pistol, but the former president dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"Cloud, perhaps you would be so kind as to help me with explaining to your friends what we talked about before?" Rufus said.

It took only a few minutes to break down the information, the silver haired man, his small militia army, and a cache of materia. Tseng even provided the same photos Reeve had shown Cloud during their last meeting.

"What the hell... I thought you had all the materia!" Barret shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Cloud, who could only scowl.

"I did, but you forget after Kadaj and the others attacked, the last thing on my mind was a chest full of materia." The blonde shot back.

"That doesn't matter now," Tifa interrupted, "What about the militants? Where are they now?"

"Actually, it matters more than you know, Lockhart," Tseng responded. "Cloud, would you care to interpret?"

Cloud did not appreciate being constantly put on the spot, but spoke nonetheless, "If they use that chest of materia too much, it will put the planet in a weaker state. Even if they didn't possess the military powers they do, heavy magic use would be no different than letting Meteor strike the planet,"

"And as for their location..." Rufus cut in, "An informant of ours had said that at least ten trucks have broken off from a large convoy, and have begun headed this way."

"And what about the others?" Barret asked,

Here, Tseng spoke, "Our informant tells us at least a hundred trucks have begin to move northwest. Rude has done his own research, and thinks that these other ten are meant to hold back any resistance from the WRO, while the main convoy does whatever it is they are planning to do."

"And that would be?" Tifa asked,

"We don't know," Tseng replied, "But I believe they are planning on coming to Edge, to scout and see what defense...or lack thereof...we will put up. Which is why you four are here."

"Cloud, I want you and two others to venture south, to try and figure out what these men want, see if they are coming right at us, if that is their intention." Rufus said,

"You want us to take a hostage? Just three of us? I will protect my family and friends, but I won't die on a suicide mission for you. I certainly won't risk the lives of Barret and Tifa for you!" Cloud shot back.

But Tseng raised an eyebrow, "Who said anything about Lockhart going?"

Rufus chuckled, moving his wheelchair from behind his desk, and positioning it directly in front of Cloud, "We had someone else in mind..." and his eyes trailed to Yuffie, who perked up just a bit.

"We all know she is a master of stealth, and can move around with no one noticing," Rufus continued, "She can be our counter-intelligence officer. I think she is perfect for the job, and could help capturing a hostage."

"She did almost succeed in stealin' our materia once... why do ya' want a prisoner for?" Barret exclaimed,

"Simple," Tseng said, "To interrogate them. To try and find out more about their motives, and their leader. One captive is needed, but more would be better."

A silence fell over the room, then Cloud spoke, "When do you want us to leave?" This shocked every one else, including Tifa.

There was another pause, then Rufus broke the silence, "Tomorrow morning, the sooner we learn more about this threat, the better,"

"Awwrite! I'm ready!"

"Yippie! Just like old times, huh guys!?"

"I'm doing this for my family, not for you, Rufus," Cloud finished.

Tifa still said nothing, and the four of them quickly exited the building.

* * *

><p>As soon as they left the building, Tifa immediately exploded, "This still doesn't forgive you for lying to me, Cloud! Remember what I said earlier? You're turning into your old self all over again!"<p>

But Cloud stood his ground, and continued to walk along with the others, "What do you want me to say, Tifa? Huh? Sorry, I wish I was perfect? I wish I could make you and the kids happy? I'm only a man, Tifa! I make mistakes just as much as you do!"

Barret and Yuffie said nothing, only continued to walk.

"That's a cop-out excuse!" Tifa continued, "I never wanted you to be perfect..I only ever wanted you to tell me the truth!" By now, her face had begin to turn red, "But I guess I never mattered that much to you as a friend, did I?"

Tifa continued to rant and rave so much, that she hadn't even paid attention to where she was going. She had wandered right out into the middle of the road, still yelling and screaming at the blonde.

She didn't even notice the truck speeding right towards her, until it was nearly too late.

"Tifa! Look out!"

"Oh my god!"

Cloud instantly dove toward her, clasping her midsection and shoving them both out of the way. Cloud landed with them both on the ground, he on top of her, and both breathing rather heavily.

"Tifa... are you all right?" Cloud said, taking her hands and pulling her to her feet.

Tifa stood for a moment, but lost her footing and fell against Cloud, still in shock at having almost lost her life. She grasped the fabric of his vest, and slowly looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. "Cloud, I... thank you."

They both then heard Barret laugh rather loudly, and turned to see Yuffie with the most devilish smirk on her face. Cloud and Tifa then quickly drew back, their faces hot and red from embarrassment.

But even as they walked back to the bar, once Barret and Yuffie had ended their childish remarks about the two finally hooking up... Cloud slowly reached down, and with only three fingers, took Tifa's hand, but made sure the other two never saw it. Tifa accepted it with silent joy.


	7. A Prelude to Madness

**-Chapter 7-**

**A Prelude to Madness**

_Taught by the powers that preach over me, I can hear their empty reasons_

_I wouldn't listen, I learned how to fight, I opened up my mind to treason_

_But just like the wounded, and when its too late, they'll remember, they'll surrender_

* * *

><p>The following morning, depression seemed to hang over the Seventh Heaven, like a heavy cloak. The night before, all four of the adults had to explain to the children what they were fighting and shouting for. Marlene was afraid that, "bad men are going to come and take Daddy and every one away!" and that all her friends would disappear forever. Denzel on the other hand, only wanted to help in whatever way he could. He even went so far as to steal Cloud's cellphone and call Reeve, begging to join the WRO, but of course to no avail. Cloud and Barret had to tell them that they had to leave, but they would be back soon.<p>

"But what about us!?" Marlene had demanded,

"Don't worry, Marlene. I'm going to stay here with you both," Tifa had said, scooping the little girl into her arms. "Just like old times, right?"

Now, six figures sat around the bar, trying to eat breakfast, but most of them could do little more than pick at their food. They were waiting for that inevitable knock on the door that signaled Rufus was ready for them to leave. They likely would have already started for the door, but the former president offered something to aid them. So they waited.

Cloud especially had kept his head low the entire time, still not wanting to look at Tifa right then. He felt guilty for having to lie to her, when in reality he had thought he was protecting her. And keeping her from worrying about something she shouldn't. He could still feel the resentment, even now in the half lit room. Tifa was likewise keeping her head down, a bit ashamed for having acted that way and the children hearing it. Very rarely had she ever lost her temper in such a way and—while she felt Cloud deserved it—the children did not deserve to hear it.

Finally, Yuffie broke the silence, "C'mon, cheer up, kids!" She patted Denzel, who was sitting next to her, on the back, "We're just going to look at some stuff and we'll be back before you know it!"

Denzel mumbled under his breath, "Yeah, going after some guys with lots of guns," The sentence caused Marlene next to him to wince, and it looked as though she'd start crying right then.

"Denzel, enough," Tifa scolded, "They will be fine. We've all fought worse things."

Barret stood up and scooped Marlene into his arm, placing her on his shoulder, "That's right! Your old man's tougher'n he looks! Besides... each guy has one small gun, but!" Here the metal arm disassembled into the large turrets, which Barret held straight into the air, "I got four big ones!"

Marlene seemed to feel better, as she giggled a bit, "But you already look tough, daddy!"

Barret smirked, "Then you should feel bad for whoever gets in my way!"

A little later, there was still no sign of Rufus or the WRO, so they started to clean their dishes and put them back where they belonged. Afterward, Barret took the kids outside, leaving Cloud, Tifa, and Yuffie sitting at a rounded table in the middle of the room.

After some pointless small talk with the fist fighter, Yuffie hopped up and bounded for the door after Barret, "I'll let you two loooooove birds have a moment alone before we head out!" Then quickly bounded out the open door, a metal tin thrown by Cloud narrowly missing her head.

"Tifa, listen. I know I've said sorry before, and..." Cloud began, but had since stood up and faced away from her, "I know sorry doesn't fix everything. I just... thought I was protecting you."

"Protecting me from a lie, Cloud? Hmf." Again she felt her face turning red, and she stared hard into the male's back.

Cloud still didn't turned around, "You know I wouldn't hurt you on purpose. I've already done that too many times before, and I promised myself after Geostigma I wouldn't ever again."

Tifa said nothing, and continued to drill holes into the others back, wanting for just a moment to punch him in the face and get it over with. Yet she didn't deny to herself that his words began to break the ice around her heart.

Finally, Cloud turned to face the woman, "You and every one had taught me that I'm not alone anymore, right?" Here he went back towards the table, and sat directly across from her, "Well, I don't want to leave you alone anymore, either. And if I keep lying, keep staying away, then that's exactly what I'll do." He paused a moment, pushing his hand forward and letting the very tips of his fingers brush across the top of her hand, and started to smile.

Damn it to hell, there it was again. That smile that at one time was so rare it would have melted her heart. Even now, the anger seemed to go out the window for Tifa, the physical contact instantly reminding her of the other day, when Cloud actually grabbed her hand.

But Tifa drew back from the touch, and stood up herself, "You can't keep doing this, Cloud. You say one thing, then do another. You're right, sorry doesn't fix every thing. But..." She paused, and pondered for a moment. "I understand why you did it, I guess. Next time though, just tell me, okay?"

Cloud rose to meet her, and surprised her by holding out his pinky finger towards her, "Pinky swear,"

Tifa couldn't help but giggle as she wrapped her own finger around his, "I'm holding you to it, Strife."

"Yes ma'am,"

At that moment, Barret suddenly poked his head into the door, "Yo, the Turk's are here! Come on!"

Outside, Reno was standing in front of a medium sized truck, and, Cloud noted, the female receptionist from the other day was present as well. "Lysa, by the way," she had said when Cloud and Tifa had come closer. Marlene and Denzel stared in awe of the truck, which sported a mounted turret gun.

"And what's this for?" Cloud had asked,

Reno grinned, stepping up to stand next to Cloud and slapping him on the shoulder, using his other hand to gesture towards the truck, "Consider this an early birthday present from the prez! Top of the line World Regenesis technology!"

"If by 'top of the line' ya mean salvaged scrap heap from old ShinRa technology!" Barret suddenly said,

"Yo, don't hate! This thing is as good as you guys could hope for, given the circumstances," Reno replied.

The female Turk, Lysa, rolled her eyes and stepped forward, "The body and glass are bullet, fire, and shrapnel proof. As you can see, she also has a mounted gun, just in case."

"H-Hey! I thought this was a stealth mission!" Yuffie piped in, "What do we need that for!"

"As I said," Lysa continued, "just in case. This was custom made from the axles to the roof. Step closer, Mr. Strife. There is one more thing you might appreciate.

With help from Reno, Lysa climbed into the bed of the truck, and Cloud stepped closer, standing at the rear end, with arms crossed. "I'm waiting to be impressed," he said sourly. He still barely trusted any one with the title 'Turk' as far as he could throw them.

"The president requested this feature himself... in case something should happen to your little scooter over there," Here, the woman pressed a small pedal with her foot, and on both sides of the truck, a hidden compartment flipped open, each with three sword slots, very similar to the Fenrir.

Cloud raised an eyebrow, and even Tifa and Barret stepped closer to investigate.

"Damn! This baby is sick!" Barret yelled.

"Cloud, maybe you should sue Rufus for copyright infringement. Wasn't this your original idea?" Tifa commented, causing both Yuffie and Marlene to giggle.

Cloud smirked, but then switched to business mode, "All right, Reno. Where are we going exactly?"

Reno then pulled from his coat what resembled a small laptop, and quickly punched a few buttons, then turned it around so Cloud and the others could see. What they saw was a green and black map of the continent they were on, almost resembling a submarine's radar screen. "See the blue dot? That's where we are now," he said, "and see the red dots? Those are the ten trucks."

Tifa leaned in to look closer, "That's about twenty miles south of Kalm. Is this direct tracking?"

"Top of the range!" Reno replied, "But they haven't moved in the last day or so."

"We need at least one hostage to interrogate. That shouldn't be a problem for you three," Lysa said.

"Right, then. Let's go." Cloud declared, then walked off toward the parked Fenrir.

Barret hugged Marlene, and promised to come back soon, then did the same to Tifa before he climbed into the driver's seat, which Yuffie quickly complained about. "Hey, I wanted to drive!" to which Barret responded, "Hell naw! You female drivers are crazy!"

After a few more minutes of various goodbyes, and of Yuffie arguing with Barret about sexism, the group were ready to go. Cloud revved Fenrir's engine a few times, and began to take off, when Tifa suddenly stopped him, "Is something wrong?" He had asked.

Tifa smiled a small smile, handing him her ring, shaped in the head of a wolf, "Come back in one piece, okay? We'll be waiting for you."

"Yo! Good luck, Chocobo Express!" Cloud heard Reno call. Cloud stared at the redhead for a moment, and nodded slowly. After one last look at Tifa, Cloud released the breaks, and the bike sped away, Barret and Yuffie following close behind in the armored truck.

As soon as they had left, Lysa's phone suddenly went off, and she quickly walked away to take the call. Reno raised an eyebrow, but walked in the opposite direction, thinking nothing of it. A strong drink sounded good right then.

Tifa and the children watched until the Fenrir was well out of sight, then turned and went back inside the bar. Once they were back inside, Cait Sith was sitting on the edge of the bar, dangling its feet back and fourth. As soon as it saw the three enter the bar, it quickly jumped up, noticing the sad looks on the children's faces.

"Oi! Don't fret, little ones! Yer' pa' and the others are really strong! I seen it first hand!" Here the toy flexed its arms in various poses, "Grrrr!"

Marlene and Denzel both laughed, feeling better, and even Tifa hid a giggle.

"I tried ta' get here quick as I could, Tifa, but it seems I'm too late! I wanted ta' wish him good luck! But I also needed ta' talk to ya' as well!" Cait said.

Tifa dismissed the children to go play outside, but warned them to be home before dark. She then sat at the bar across from the toy; the thought of prepping for the night was far away in her mind right then, "What is it, Reeve?"

"Cloud had called me late last night, sayin' he was worried for ya' an' the little ones! He wanted me ta' post WRO police outside tha' bar 'til he got back!"

Tifa looked down at the bar, to hide the wide smile on her face. So he had meant what he said, about wanting to protect her and the children. "I don't think that'll be necessary, Reeve,"

"The lad seemed pretty sincere...are ya' sure, lass?" Cait responded.

"Yes, I can take care of myself, as you well know."

The toy nodded, "Very well! I'll check in whenever I can! Fer' now... duty calls! An' don't fer'get ta' put me back on the shelf!" A moment later, the toy clicked back off, and slumped limply down on the bar top. Tifa simply shook her head, and put it back on the shelf behind the bar.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Have Reij and his men reached the locale yet, Edward?"<p>

Across the table from his leader, Edward was busy punching numbers and letters into a computer terminal, the occasional beep of a tracker being the only other sound, much to the annoyance of the leader.

"Nearly, sir. In fact, they've sent a transmission confirming the others are already in place. They're just waiting for your command."

The silver haired one nodded, drumming his fingertips together as his plans seemed to be falling into place, "Good... very good. Get Reij on the com-link when every thing is ready. I want to speak to him personally."

"Yes, sir," Edward replied.

At that moment, a man abruptly entered the tent, "Apologies, sir! General, you need to come and see this. The new batch of recruits seem a bit... restless."

After a nod from his leader, Edward quickly got up and headed out, picking up a rifle as he exited.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Edward returned with the henchman who had entered before, "Sir, there's a man here who insists on speaking to you personally,"<p>

The silver haired man grunted, half in annoyance, half in amusement, "Does he, now? Am I holding a casting call where I speak to individual people? Throw him in with the rest of the new peasants, and I'll be there soon."

Edward nervously continued, "I'm... afraid he insists greatly, sir. He's not like the rest of them, at least he does not seem to be. I would not bother you if I didn't have a feeling about this one."

"But you would bother me of other things, right?" The robed one snorted, "Very well, bring him in."

Edward and the other henchman parted the tent flaps, and in walked a man who was clearly a foreigner. His skin was the deepest bronze, with deep-set green eyes and raven hair pulled back into a long ponytail. His armor, leggings, and bracers consisted of padded dark leather, with strips and pelts of animal furs. His outfit was also decorated with feathers, beads, and jewels, "This one is honored by your presence, your grace," He had said as he entered, then bowed at his waist.

The leader eyed the man up in down for a while, as a silence fell over the tent. He noted that the stranger had several pouches at his waist, and a good bit of loops around his belt where, no doubt, knives once were. But they had since been confiscated. Finally, the robed one spoke, "You look like you come from Cosmo Canyon, stranger. What's your name?"

"This one no longer has a name, and I've never seen the Canyon before, your grace." The man replied,

"No longer have a name? Did you lose it on the ship ride over here?" The silver haired man chuckled.

"No, your grace," The stranger continued, "This one was once a shaman in his village, but became disgraced after he failed to save them from monsters."

The silver haired man considered this for a moment, "A shaman, you say? Hmm." He continued to think, perhaps a shaman would be a good asset to his minions. "Have you ever used materia, or a gun before, shaman?"

The man shook his head, "Never, sir. This one prefers to rely on the natural magic of the planet. Potions, herbs, and the like."

"And what use do you think I would have, of a man without a name, and is essentially a glorified medicine man?"

Here, the shaman knelt down to one knee, scooping up a handful of dirt, letting it slowly sift between his fingers, "Because too much medicine becomes poison, your grace. And this one has mastered the mixture of certain herbs, and rocks... this one can control people."

This caught the silver haired one's attention, who slowly rose from his seat, "Is that so? I'm afraid I'll require a demonstration. Edward! Go and fetch this man's weapons and tools. We shall see if there are any truth to his words."

* * *

><p>Edward returned a little later, carrying several belts of knives, other pouches, and various other tools and bowls used for grinding herbs. He placed them upon the table before the shaman, who looked to make sure all of them were there.<p>

"We'll need a volunteer, then!" The leader said, then pointed to one of the men stationed nearby, "You! Step forward. And put down your weapon."

The man gave Edward a look, then nervously stepped forward, placing his rifle on the table, and waited.

The shaman turned to the leader for permission, who in turn nodded his approval. After picking through his knives, he picked out a string of them, the tips of which were coated in a dark purple powder. Not a moment later, a knife was flung across the room, to embed itself in the other man's shoulder.

The shaman's eyes then turned white and they rolled into the back of his head, and instantly the other man stood straight again, having fell backwards from the force of the knife. The man then walked around the room, stopping halfway and returning counter-clockwise.

The silver haired man seemed impressed, but scoffed, "All good and well, but maybe now its time to test your loyalty. This man has annoyed me... make him shoot himself."

The shaman gnashed his teeth together behind his lips, a bead of sweat running down his temple, yet he had to obey. The other man slowly reached for the pistol on his belt, and began to put it in his mouth. Yet the look in his eyes and his twitching limbs showed he was attempting to fight it, and to plead for his life. The shaman then twitched his eyebrow once, and the man was gone from the world forever.

The leader then clapped his hands and laughed as he stood, "I meant make him shoot himself in the foot or something, but you've certainly proved your loyalty now. You might be a good lieutenant after all... maybe even a captain, one day. You should have come sooner... my men on the convoys could have used someone like you!"

The shaman bowed his head, "This one is honored to fight for the survival of the planet, and with a new destiny... a new name. This one chooses... Tormuj, your grace."

The silver haired man grinned approvingly, "Welcome to the fight, Tormuj. Come, watch how my army is grown," then lead the other man out of the tent, to give yet another speech to a group of new recruits.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>The sun had begin to set now, and Cloud had been growing anxious the entire time. They had arrived several hours earlier, but had done little other than sit and watch from a distance. Barret had discovered that Rufus sent three pairs of high grade binoculars in the glove box of the truck, and this is what they had used. Yuffie continued to quietly complain, wanting to move in closer herself at least.<p>

"Not until nightfall. For all we know these men could be expecting us," Cloud had said.

Now it was just dark enough that the three figures could slip down closer, unnoticed. Each of them had brought their respective weapons, and a few other small items for emergency purposes.

"Damn, man! Nobody said nothin' about the mosquitoes!" Barret complained as they moved along.

They were now about two hundred feet away, and they noted that the trucks were all parked next to each other in a circle, with a small campfire burning in the center. This struck Cloud as odd, because if these men were meant to hold back an assumed resistance from the WRO, they were not at all in a strategic position to do so.

"Right, I think I've seen enough. Yuffie, you're up. See what you can find out, and don't hurt anyone unless you have to," Cloud said.

"Aye aye, captain!" Yuffie replied, and slipped away into the darkness, and further down the hill without a sound.

* * *

><p>She crept closer, every few steps pausing to look around, to ensure none had noticed. When she was satisfied none had, she continued closer. She heard a few men at the back of the trucks talking and conversing among themselves, but not about anything important. Mostly pointless chit-chat.<p>

"Hey, did you hear that?" One man said,

Yuffie froze, holding her breath.

"What? You've been drinking way too much, man! Have another shot on me!" His friend replied.

But the first one continued to look in her direction, and Yuffie slowly and silently pulled two small knives from her waist, prepared to use them if need be. But after only a couple more agonizing minutes, the man lost interest and went back to his bottle. Yuffie quietly breathed a sigh of relief, and crept past the two men, to take cover behind another truck. The air was heavy with cigarette smoke, the smell of alcohol, and quieted laughter. Only a few of the men were actually holding their guns, which further confused the ninja.

Yuffie was so caught up in her thoughts, she barely noticed another man—the same one who had nearly caught her just moments ago—walk around the side of the truck. But Yuffie moved a split second too late, and he came closer to investigate where she had hidden on the back of the truck. The man never even saw it coming, as the ninja suddenly pounced on him, and slammed his head against a rock with more force than even she thought she was capable of, knocking him out cold. "Damn..." She cursed under her breath, and struggled to drag the man out of sight. Once he has hidden, Yuffie crept away, back to the other two.

* * *

><p>"What do ya think, Yuffie? What's going on down there?" Cloud asked once she returned,<p>

"Totally weird, man! Out of ten, maybe two or three are actually waiting with guns! The rest of them are too busy drinking, smoking, and actin' like they're at a house party!"

"Did anyone see ya'?" Barret asked, to which Yuffie looked away for a moment,

"Well... one guy did... but I knocked him out good and made sure he was hidden! No one else even saw me!"

Cloud sighed, "And you couldn't have brought him back here? We could have left,"

"Hey, I'm not a big old man who can drag over two-hundred pounds of dead weight! I could barely drag him ten feet! If you want to go down there and try and get him yourself, be my guest!" Yuffie retorted.

"Quiet, you two! Something's going on down there," Barret interrupted. The others quickly grabbed their binoculars, and looked towards the camp.

"Did they find the body?" Yuffie asked, but her answer was soon answered.

Two trucks suddenly backed out of the circle, and drove side by side to the north, not even three-quarters a mile from where the trio observed. The other men continued about their business like nothing was wrong in the world. "Wait...something's not right," Cloud suddenly said.

One of the trucks suddenly turned to its left, and only drove a few more feet before it parked, and the lights were switched off. The second truck, however, continued on straight.

"It might be headed toward Kalm, or even Edge. We gotta stop it!" Yuffie said,

"This might be our chance, Spikey! There's only five men there, and they keep moving away," Barret pointed out, "C'mon! Let's go nab us a terrorist!"

Cloud thought for a moment, then agreed. "Fine, but we have to be quick and quiet. You two pull behind the truck and act like you're one of them. Yuffie, you can blow out one of their tires if you can, and I'll come in and surprise them. And Barret..."

But Barret already had an idea of what he was about to say, "Yeah, yeah, let me guess. Don't use the big guns unless I got to! Damn, what was the point in me even comin' along!?"

They all then darted off, Cloud in one direction, Yuffie and Barret in another, and set the plan into action.

* * *

><p>As soon as the truck rolled past him, Barret floored his own and pulled in behind it, keeping the headlights off and following the tail lights. He held his breath, expecting the man on the back of the truck in front of him to begin firing his weapon, but the man soon lost interest, and took a draw from a leather drink pouch at his side.<p>

"Heh, heh... get ready for a surprise, sucka'!" Barret said aloud.

Yuffie then stood up from the back of the truck at that moment, brandishing her giant four pointed shuriken, and waited. She only had one shot, and failure meant not only their cover being blown, but also losing her weapon. "Barret, speed up just a little! Get as close as possible!" She whispered through the open back window.

Once Barret had inched closer, Yuffie held her breath, and began to count, "One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three..." and then hurled the shuriken as hard as she could.

It worked, as the weapon twirled along the right side of the other truck, spun around the front and then back down the left side, accurately slashing both tires on that side and causing the driver to lose control. Yuffie then quickly spun off the left side to catch the weapon, just as Barret suddenly mashed the gas to the floor and rammed the back of the other truck. Yuffie caught the weapon, but rolled through the dirt several times before standing back up again, and dashing toward the now parked trucks.

"Yuffie, now!" Barret called. Not a moment later, the area was filled with smoke, as Yuffie had thrown several fog bombs around the enemy truck. "Where the hell is that blonde fool!?" He yelled again.

By now the men were confused, and in a panic, firing their weapons randomly in all different directions, but never once finding their mark. The last thing one man saw, was Barret's massive form charging toward him, and bringing the metal fist in an over-the-head slashing motion. The sickening crunch of bone and blood coating his arm told Barret that he was no more.

Yuffie had sneaked through the fog and used her own legs and fists as weapons, disabling one man and then knocking him out with the blunt side of her weapon. However, she looked up too late to stare down the barrel of a pistol, "Heh, see ya' later, wench."

But the sudden roaring of a motorcycle engine caused the man to turn around, in which Yuffie used the opportunity to throw another smoke bomb and run away. Cloud suddenly appeared out of the fog on the Fenrir, and connected a left fist to the gun-wielders face, the force causing him to flip into the air twice before landing in the dirt with a loud thud, dead.

Despite his large size, Barret also managed to sneak up on a fourth man, and when he turned around to aim his gun at Barret's face, he grabbed it with his metal hand, "That's not very nice, foo'! You picked the wrong people to screw with!" The other man's gun then crunched, splintered, and finally broke in half as Barret crushed it. The man then turned to run away, and for a moment Barret considered ending his life with his turrets, but there were several soft thumps, and he suddenly fell over. Barret noted that the man had been hit with several small knives, around his chest and neck, clearly dead. "Nice one, chick!" Barret called to Yuffie, who jumped down from a nearby tree

"Well that's one for the bucket! But what about the fifth? And where the hell is Cloud!?" Barret continued.

But at that moment, Cloud was seen walking out of the woods with a man draped over his shoulder, whom was quickly thrown down next to the other man Yuffie had incapacitated. "He tried to get away," Cloud explained.

"Sweet! We bagged two of 'em! Let's load 'em up and head back. Rufus will like this!" Yuffie had said, already doing a small celebratory dance.

"Good work, guys," Cloud said, wiping a small line of blood from his lip.

"Heh... heh... ha ha ha... ha..." The man Cloud had caught suddenly began to laugh, though it was through spitting out wads of his own blood.

"Yo, that one's still awake! But I'll fix that!" Barret said, and stepped towards the fallen man.

"Wait," Cloud commanded, "What's so funny?" He asked the man,

"You fell directly into my master's trap...heh heh heh...like a moth to the flame!"

Here, Cloud leaned down and yanked the man up to his own face by the fabric of his shirt, "What the hell are you talking about? Answer me!"

The man grinned, more blood spilling out from his mouth and onto the grass. He continued to speak, but in a hushed tone so only Cloud could hear, "I wonder what will happen to that pretty brunette now that her knight in shining armor is no longer there to protect her." He paused, and coughed several times, "And the children... soon their souls will dissolve into the Lifestream... to fuel my master's power!"

Instantly, Cloud saw red, and put the dying man out of his misery by breaking his neck. This even shocked Barret, "What the hell, Spikey!?"

"I gotta get back to the bar, I think this was all a distraction to get us away. Get that man back to Reeve and make sure he survives." Was all Cloud said, dashing away, and quickly locating Fenrir. It took him a moment to insert the key to turn it over, such was the hurried frenzy he was in. But when he finally zoomed away, leaving the others in a mist of dirt and grass, all he could picture in his mind was his family.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong> A little longer and grittier than I expected, and the beginning might have been a little mushier than intended. Also, I hope to not confuse readers with the sudden influx of new characters (Lysa and Tormuj). They all will have their own part to play in time.


	8. A Lament for Innocence

**Author's note: **This is where things start to get interesting (I hope), and as the description says, I've bumped the rating to M, just in case. From here, you'll start to see a different side of Cloud, a side you wouldn't expect. Please send me your feedback, and tell your friends!

Finally, I would like to dedicate this chapter to my long lost friend Christine, wherever she may be, for roleplaying as my Tifa years ago and actually coming up with the general idea for this chapter. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.

**-Chapter 8-**

**A Lament for Innocence**

_Another beauty loved by a beast, another tale of infinite dreams_

_Your eyes, they were my paradise, your smile made my sun rise_

_Forgive me, for I don't know what I gain alone in this garden of pain_

* * *

><p>"Tifa, do you think Cloud and daddy really meant what they said?"<p>

Tifa, who was busy rummaging through the safe behind the bar, stood up and smiled at the girl, "What do you mean, Marlene?"

Marlene was sitting at the center of the bar, as always, coloring in a coloring book. She looked up at the older woman with a sad expression on her face, "That they will be back soon and be okay? You don't think the bad men will come here do you?"

Tifa had to pause for just a moment, and consider how to answer. It was, after all, entirely possible that the new enemy could come into the city, sooner or later. But she eventually forced a giggle, and tucked a strand of Marlene's hair behind her head, "Of course not, sweetie. Cloud and our friends are gonna make sure they never come here." She then went back to going through the safe, out of sight of the child, but continued to speak, "And besides, even if they did, they will protect us, right?" Referencing Cloud, Barret, and the others.

Marlene said nothing at first, only blankly stared at the page of her coloring book, trying to comprehend the older woman's words. Of course her daddy was strong, and Cloud was too! "Right! I just hope they come back soon!"

"Me too, Marlene," Tifa replied, and continued to move things around in the safe.

She soon found the old picture of her, Cloud, and the children. Here, she removed it from the safe, and stood up with it. For a long time she stared at it, considering exactly what the picture had represented.

It represented Cloud's old behavior, and in a sense it seemed to Tifa it was an embodiment of how the male had been acting very recently. Sometimes staying gone, not returning phone calls. He had lied to her, sure, but it was very hard for her to stay mad at him. He said he had only wanted to protect her, and maybe she DID worry too much about things she shouldn't. But she worried too much to protect those around her that she loved. Still, when she looked at Cloud in this picture, looking like he hated to even be there, it caused her mood to sour. Even though sometimes he stayed out late, and seemed to speak in loopholes, he acted different from back then. He actually talked to her, shared his feelings, spent time with the kids, slept in his own bed just up the stairs. Could it be that she was now holding onto the past, for fear that it would go back to that? That she was, in a sense, bracing herself for when it inevitably happened she wouldn't be left broken down, full of disappointment?

Tifa now glared at the picture, suddenly hating everything about it. Things were very different now, and she had to trust in Cloud that it would not go back to that. And so in that moment, she ripped the photo into shreds, and threw them into the nearby trash bin. Marlene looked up, puzzled, but said nothing.

After she closed the safe, Tifa began to wipe down the bar top with a wet rag, but paused, noting someone was missing, "Where's Denzel?" She asked Marlene,

"He hasn't come out of his room since we came back from playing! He said he's gonna stay in there until Cloud comes back!"

Tifa sighed. It seemed she wasn't the only one who pointlessly worried about Cloud, but she knew that for Denzel, it was different. Denzel always looked up to Cloud as a father figure, as he couldn't remember his own parents very clearly. Tifa also knew Denzel looked up to her as a mother figure, and she did her best to make sure he had been happy. It seemed Denzel still had the same worry Tifa was finally letting go of: Cloud would hop onto his motorcycle, and the last anyone would see of him was a trail of dust.

Maybe she should go upstairs and talk to him? She considered it for a moment, then shook her head. All he needed was some sleep and tomorrow he would come down those stairs, looking for Cloud. "Don't worry, Marlene. He's just tired."

The entire building was near silent, except for the crackling fire in the corner. That night, Tifa had decided to not open the bar, so that she could go through certain things that only brought back bad memories. There was a small stack of boxes in the corner, full of various items from over the years, which Tifa now began to go through. The first thing she picked up, was her old brimmed hat, from before Sephiroth set blaze to Nibelheim. Before... her father was killed. A pang of ache shot through her, and for a moment she considered discarding it into the trash box. But the horrible memories were suddenly replaced by good ones. Such as when Cloud told her, when they were children, that he was going off to join SOLDIER. Even then she had thought him so brave.. a small town boy running off to the big city to join the best of the best. So that he could protect her one day.

Tifa smiled at that, tracing the rigid patterns of the hat with her fingertips, "I wish you could see us now, papa..." She whispered to herself, "You'd be so happy." And put the hat back in the box.

She continued to go through different items, some of them being thrown away, when a familiar sound had caught her attention. It was the faint rumbling of an approaching motorcycle. Tifa looked up at the clock behind her, noting that they had only been gone for a few hours. Could it be that they managed to capture someone and take him back to Rufus so quickly?

Marlene instantly jumped out of her seat and ran towards the door, "They're back already, yay!"

From where Tifa was standing, she could also see into the back of the kitchen, where the back door led to a small side alley where they discarded their garbage to be picked up. Her lips pulled back into a small smile as she saw the headlights move across the front window, then went back to her boxes.

But then something wasn't right. Tifa looked up towards the back door, and saw that someone was attempting to turn the locked doorknob. Instantly Tifa shot straight to her feet, knowing that it couldn't be a coincidence. Barret and Yuffie wouldn't try to get in through the back door. She quickly turned to the main room, where Marlene was still waiting by the front door of the place,

"Marlene, get away from the door! Now!"

The little girl turned and looked at her, a confused look on her face, "But Tifa, it's only Cloud! What is-"

At that exact moment, the front door was suddenly forced open, sending splinters of wood every direction. A tall muscular man appeared in the doorway, a mask concealing his face, and yanked the now screaming Marlene close to him, "House keeping!" He yelled with a laugh.

Instantly Tifa went into attack mode, and lunged forward to rescue the little girl from the intruder. She twirled, bringing her right heel to smack him across the ribs, which temporarily stunned the man, but he managed to knock her in the chest with his fist, sending her backwards.

The back door was then heard being broken open, and two more men raced in from the kitchen, also wearing masks. Tifa, quickly catching her breath, lunged for the two new enemies. She hit her back and slid between them across the floor, then quickly leaped back up and threw out a fist, catching one of the men in the jaw. When the other swung on her, Tifa ducked, side-stepped, then thrust the heel of her palm upward, attempting to drive his nose up into his brain. The man fell back, eyes watery, and was stunned for a moment. She then felt two strong arms suddenly wrap around her midsection, and for a moment, panicked. She raised her left foot, and slammed it down on her captor's instep, twisted, caught him in the ribs with her elbow, then sent him through a section of inner wall with a spin-kick across his face.

"Right, that's enough of that!" Tifa heard the first man shout. On instinct, she turned and took a single step towards the voice, intent on ripping his throat out, but quickly stopped, and gasped. The man now had a pistol, drawn, and aimed directly at the young girl in his arm. All Marlene could do was sob quietly.

Tifa's body went rigid, and she began to shake violently, her ruby colored eyes burning with fury. "Why are you doing this?"

But the first man laughed, "Because its what I'm getting paid to do, bitch! Oi! You two pansies, get up!"

The other two quickly found their feet, and stepped towards the female. When Tifa sunk down in a fighting stance, she heard the sound of a gun hammer being drawn back, right then one of the most horrible sounds in the world. "Ah, ah! Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the little one, would we?"

Tifa only feared for Marlene, and had no choice but to surrender right then. She then felt a sharp burn on her cheek, as one of the men came up and backhanded her, causing her to fall against the bar, only to be pinned down by the other. She struggled to get him off of her, but the blow had dazed her, and her eyes began to well up with tears.

"Damn! Reij said she was a looker, but he didn't specify very much! Ha ha!" The man said, before he turned Tifa around and slammed her entire upper body onto the bar top, using his own lower body to pin her against it. The blow further knocked the wind out of the woman.

"Frank," The leader with the gun said, "Go upstairs and get the boy. Hate for him to be sneakin' off to call the police!" The man called Frank, who had been the one who slapped Tifa, went upstairs to fetch Denzel.

"She roughed me up pretty good, boss! I think she needs to be taught a lesson!" The man holding Tifa down said, looking at the leader with a hungry glint in his eyes. Under his weight, Tifa struggled even more to get up, but to no avail.

The leader laughed, and continued to hold Marlene close, "You're right, Joe! Maybe she needs at least three lessons..."

Marlene had no idea what that meant, but knew it wasn't good. She continued to cry softly, which annoyed the man holding her, "Be quiet! Or you'll be the first one to go!"

After struggling a few more times, Tifa gave up, and forced a smile towards young girl, "It's gonna be okay, Marlene... Cloud will come and rescue us... right?"

"Not likely!" A voice called from the stairs, and the man called Frank came down, holding Denzel's tiny arms behind his back and forcing him down the stairs.

"Right... let's just get this over with and get back to Junction Town!" The leader said.

The one called Joe then pulled a large knife from his side, and began to cut the fabric of Tifa's vest, and shirt.

By now, tears rolled freely down her face, as she heard and felt her clothes being cut. She stared up at the Cait doll, and quietly began to beg, "Reeve... Cloud... anybody... please help us...!"

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Most people would not dare drive through the wasteland at such a time of night, but right then, nothing else mattered except for him to get back to his family before something terrible happened. The thought that something could have happened already only made him push the motorcycle as hard and fast as it could handle.<p>

The entire ride, Cloud mentally beat himself up for having not seen it sooner. He should have suspected the moment they arrived something was not right. The way those trucks were parked... and the one that veered off and parked when they all chose to chase the other one? Of course it was a diversion! He still remembered Barret calling after him as he left, "What the hell is going on!? You better protect my daughter, Strife!"

The moon had since risen high into the sky, larger than normal; a silent pale witness to the horrible events yet to come. Cloud paid no mind of it, and instead focused on the road in front of him.

He passed a large outcropping that soon became familiar. It was the very cliff that Zack had taken his last breath before he passed on, and though it took a moment of hard staring, Cloud could still see the small patch of flowers that marked where the Buster Sword used to be. "It's not a grave, its where a great hero started his journey," he had told Denzel, after Geostigma.

Cloud looked away from the sight, but then quickly looked back again, and what he now saw nearly caused him to crash the Fenrir. It was a tall, shadowy figure, though whom it was, was unmistakable. It's hair and coat flowed far behind it, caught in the wind, the silver of the hair matching the pale moonlight.

"_Are you going to fail them, Cloud? Are you going to let them die, just like your friend?" _Sephiroth's voice punctured Cloud's mind, like a splinter. Cloud said nothing, quickly looking away, and continued on.

But Cloud heard the voice again, laughing at first, and then, _"Perhaps this JENOVA pretender and his peons will do the job for me, and save me the trouble of taking your family. Not that it would have taken much effort... Run, Cloud. But remember, you can't run from the inevitable."_

* * *

><p>Not long after, Cloud rumbled through the gates of the city, and it didn't take long after to steer down the street where the bar was located. It was late, and there were none out in the city at this time.<p>

He could see the bar now, in the distance, but something wasn't right. The bike came to a screeching halt as it was turned, so that the headlights weren't shining down the street. There was a motorcycle already parked where his normally would be. Instantly, his heart dropped down to his feet, but quickly opened up a compartment and yanked out one of the smaller swords, sliding it onto his back and racing off down the street. If something was going on, better to be stealthy, as they could very well have guns.

Cloud took a side street to come up the side of the bar that had no windows, and quietly crept around to the front. He saw the front door had been obviously forced open, seeing a spot that had been caved in from a kick, and splinters of wood scattered around the place. But the door was now shut. Finally, he crept up to the side of a window, and slowly peaked in, and instantly his blood began to boil.

He counted three men, one holding a gun to poor little Marlene, obviously upset, and another holding Denzel by his arms and the scruff of his neck. But what angered him the most was the third man, who had Tifa pinned against the bar, and was even now cutting and ripping off her vest and shirt. He wanted to burst in right then, but he had to consider the children... one sudden move and the men would likely hurt them... or worse. Marlene looked over and saw Cloud, and began to exclaim, but quickly Cloud motioned for her to keep quiet.

Marlene silenced herself, and quickly formulated a plan, and gently tugged on her captor's shirt, "Mister..." She had to choke out the words, in between sobs, "I just want my crayons over by the door... can I have them?"

"Shut your trap, brat! I ain't your babysitter!" He replied,

"Please! Please! I'll be quiet, I promise!" Marlene continued,

"Shut that girl up already before someone hears!" Frank, the one holding Denzel, hissed.

Relenting, the man took Marlene over towards the front door, "Attagirl, Marlene..." Cloud whispered to himself. He quickly thought out a plan, hoping the only ones inside were only the three he saw. And once the man holding Marlene stepped in front of the door, all hell broke loose.

Cloud kicked open the front door with such force it nearly fell off the hinges, it slapping the man dead in the face, causing him to drop Marlene and fall backwards. Marlene quickly stood up and ran for the stairs, ducking underneath the other man who tried to grab her. Denzel seized the distraction and sunk his teeth into the man's hand, quickly turning around and punching his captor in the groin, as hard as he could. The man in turn grabbed himself and fell over into a slump, while Denzel followed Marlene up the stairs.

At that moment, the leader aimed his gun at the retreating kids and fired two quick shots, the bullets missing the children by a hair's breadth. His hand was suddenly broken, as Cloud stomped his heavy boot onto the hand holding the gun. Cloud then yanked him up by his hair with both hands, and kneed him in the stomach, then punched him in the back of the head, causing his face to hit the wood floor with a 'thud.'

The man called Joe quickly lost interest in Tifa and, after throwing her half naked body over the bar top, turned and advanced on Cloud, knife drawn.

Cloud saw all of this, and felt for a moment that his eyes had turned red. This was the one who had crossed a line he was going to pay the ultimate price for. The one who almost did the unthinkable to his childhood friend. The fact he had a knife meant nothing to the blonde.

"You son of a bitch!" Cloud yelled at the top of his lungs, and charged, quickly closing the gap between the two. The man shoved the knife outward intending to catch Cloud in the stomach, but the warrior simply twisted away, grabbing the outstretched arm. Cloud then punched the outside of the arm, causing it to break with a sickening 'snap!', and bend into an awkward angle, but even the agonizing screams did not stop the blonde. After picking up the dropped knife, Cloud pushed the man over the bar, much like he had Tifa pinned down, and raised the knife, "This is for my family, you damn coward!"

And shoved the knife through the man's wrist, pinning his arm to the bar. But he wasn't done. He yanked the man's head back, and slammed his face into the bar as hard as he could. Then he did it again. And again. Each time more blood splattered everywhere, and Tifa watched all of this from the corner, eyes puffy and cheeks red, and holding her half-ripped clothes around her chest.

After that man was dead, Cloud yanked out the knife and turned, just in time for the remaining man to come up and swing his own knife on the blonde. Cloud simply disarmed the man in the same manner as the other, but stuck his own knife into the man's gut. Blood poured from the intruder's mouth, and the final thing he saw was a pair of blue eyes so full of hatred. Then the knife was removed from his stomach, only to be rammed through his heart and twisted for good measure. Afterward, still in a rage, Cloud threw the dead man through the nearby glass window, his limp form half hanging out of it.

Then all was silent inside the building, except for Tifa's soft gasps and choking back tears. Cloud quickly ran over and knelt over her, though she jerked away from him, still in shock about what had nearly happened to her.

"Tifa, it's okay... I'm here now, and the kids are all right" He whispered to her, and pulled her against him with arms wrapped around her. Tifa gave in, and fell against his form, now sobbing uncontrollably.

Right then, a 'click' was heard and Cait hopped onto the counter, "Oi! I thought I heard gunshots comin' from 'ere, so I wanted ta' come an'...oh crikey..."

It saw a broken in door, the broken glass with a man's legs still visible. It saw another man draped over the bar in a pool of his own blood and teeth stuck in the wood, clearly dead, and the final man face down on the ground near the doorway in a pile of glass shards and wood splinters. And it also heard the muffled sobs of Tifa nearby, whom, Reeve noted, was wrapped in Cloud's arms.

"Jaysus Christ, lad! What'n the hell happened 'ere!?"

Cloud stared hard at the toy, and simply said, "Reeve, get down here. Now." In a tone that made Reeve, on the other end, shiver in slight fear. Immediately the toy fell limp on the bar. Not thirty seconds later, the only other sound heard aside from Tifa's sobs, were approaching police sirens.

* * *

><p>A little later the outside windows of the bar were illuminated by the blue and red lights of several WRO police cars. Reeve had showed up not long after the police arrived, and began to question Cloud, Tifa, and even the children. Tifa retreated into the back and put on a bath robe before they had arrived.<p>

The immediate questioning didn't yield very many clues. The most the children could provide were their names, which only made Reeve's frustration rise. The entire time, WRO men rushed about with body bags, and some cleaning equipment to restore the bar to how it used to be. But not before taking samples of blood, hair, and even collected the loose teeth on the bar top.

"Medical says the kids are indeed okay, they have no injuries, save being scared to death," Reeve had said, "Do you know anyone who would want to hurt you two?"

Cloud's eyes hardened, "They have to be tied to that militia group... during our mission, one of the captured men had said we fell right into a trap." Reeve removed a notepad from his coat and began to scribble notes down.

Tifa had said nothing the entire time, keeping close to Cloud's side and continuously pulling the robe tighter around herself. Finally, she spoke in a shaky voice, "One of them did say a name... Reij, I think? And... having to go back to Junction Town,"

Reeve latched onto the name, as that was the place the enemy was reported to be holed up at, "Are you sure it was Junction Town, Tifa?" To which Tifa simply nodded, an adamant look in her puffy eyes.

Reeve wrote down a few more notes, then said, "I don't think its safe for you all to be here."

Cloud instantly tightened his grip around Tifa, "We're staying right here, and so are the kids. I think they've been through enough for one night. We can talk more tomorrow, Reeve."

Reeve sighed, knowing right then that it was pointless to argue. "Okay, we'll continue investigating outside, but you won't know we're here. You all can sleep easy tonight, and we'll get HIM straight to the Tower to for interrogation" Outside, the surviving intruder, the suspected leader with the gun, was handcuffed, and being loaded into the back of a police cruiser.

"You'd better lock the bastard away good and tight," Cloud said, and made sure the other man was paying close attention, "Because once Barret finds out what happened tonight, he's gonna tear down the entire city to get to him." Reeve only nodded, somberly.

"Thank you, Reeve," Tifa said, and the man cleared the room of every one except the blonde and the brunette.

"Be safe, you two," Was the last thing Reeve said before he slowly shut what remained of the front door behind him.

* * *

><p>It took about an hour for Cloud to calm the children down, though it proved difficult because they both thought Cloud and Tifa had, in a sense, lied to them. After saying that "the bad men" wouldn't come, they did. Even after that, the children were hesitant to go to sleep. But Cloud reminded them that the police were going to be outside all night, and nothing bad was going to happen again. Finally, the children relented, and went to sleep, exhausted from what had happened. Cloud exited the room and gently closed it shut behind him, then continued across the hall to his and Tifa's room.<p>

Tifa was sitting on the edge of her bed, still in the bath robe, and staring blankly at the wall. When Cloud came in, however, she looked up at him, and instantly felt tears returning to her eyes.

"Cloud... I'm so sorry. I did everything I could... but I... he had a gun, and..." She continued, her voice already cracking as she fought to not cry again.

But Cloud quickly sat down next to her, and put an arm around her. "It's not your fault, Tifa... it's all over now,"

"But its not! Don't you understand, Cloud!?" She suddenly drew back, and stared up at him with eyes that now seethed with a thousand different emotions, "When that man pulled a gun on Marlene... I wanted nothing more than to rip his heart out and force feed it to him... and that's a horrible thing to say! Who would attack innocent children!? Do you think this is all over!? The maniac who made those men attack us is still out there!"

Cloud did not know what to say at first, as her words and the events that night continued to whirl around in his mind, like a twister. He could tell she was obviously distraught, and hysterical, but he could not blame her.

All pride and fear of emotional attachment went out the window then, as Cloud scooted closer to her, cupping her cheek in his bare palm, "I don't know who would do this, Tifa. But whoever did it, I swear to you I'm going to find them, and make them pay. No one hurts... my family. No one hurts the one that I..." Here he paused, as the last word he was afraid to say, and began to choke it out but decided it was better to say it clearly, and loudly. He stared into her eyes, which looked back up at him, hopeful, but also on edge.

"...love."

Tifa's heart then melted like ice thrown into the flame, and threw her arms around the male, pushing her lips against his in the heat of the moment. Cloud was caught off guard, even as Tifa suddenly drew back a second later, her face as red as her eyes, "I'm so sorry, Cloud...! I just..."

But Cloud no longer cared. He leaned into her, pushing her body flat onto the bed, his hands supporting his upper body weight on either side of her head. Then he surprised her by leaning down, and placing his own lips across her own, ever so tenderly. Tifa responded by pushing upward into the kiss, wrapping one arm around his midsection, the other cupping his cheek.

The kiss went on for several long minutes, both of them lost in their long buried emotions, savoring every moment, every kiss, every taste. Tifa felt new urges surge through her body, as she had been waiting a long time, hoping that this day would come.

She suddenly pulled away from his lips, and gave the smallest, most innocent smile up at him, using the hand that had been stroking his face, to slowly part her robe in two, revealing herself to the man above her...her protector. Her knight in shining armor.

Both of their faces instantly turned red, and Tifa merely lay there, her half-naked form revealed to him, waiting to see what he would do. She raised one of her legs up to the fork of his own, slowly moving back and fourth, hoping to provoke him.

It worked, as Cloud's mouth instantly crashed back over her own, and she could feel one of his hands tugging at her bottoms, trying to yank them off. She giggled, and pushed him away just long enough to assist him in removing them, as he yanked off his vest, and went back down to kiss her again, she meeting him halfway. A single tear rolled down Tifa's cheek, happy to finally be in his arms... safe.

They became lost in their passion, forgetting everything else in the world, well into the early morning hours as the sun began to rise. Everything that had happened in the previous years had finally led to this moment.

And both of them couldn't have been happier than they were that night.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>The office was mostly dark, a single lamp with a cone shaped cover being the only source of light in the room. Off to the robed one's right, was the city of Edge, half illuminated from the lights of the various houses and buildings. The man picked up a nearby phone and dialed a few numbers, then placed the piece up to his ear. The tone rang only twice, then a click was heard as the other person picked up,<p>

"Yeah!? What do you want now, Shinra!?"

"I need a status update... how many have been built?"

Rufus heard an annoyed laugh on the other end of the line, then, "There'd be a lot more if ya would quit riding my ass all the time! But if ya must know... four, so far."

The former president scoffed in obvious annoyance, "Pick up the pace, then. I need as many as possible before the storm breaks."

"Goddamnit, if you knew how cold it was up here you wouldn't be bitchin'!"

Rufus chuckled, "It isn't called the 'Northern Glacier' for nothing, you know. I have a vague idea."

"It'd help if there were more men out here to help, damn it! I'm not a miracle worker!"

Rufus pondered this for a moment, thumbing through a small file on his desk and calculating this and that, "I'll send a few more men up there if that will speed up production. And maybe I can spare some resources But you understand I need as many bodies as possible in Edge right now."

The voice on the other end laughed, "Hey, you're footing the bill, I'm doing the easy work! Give me whatever you want, but understand what you give effects how quickly this shit gets done!" Then he hung up the phone, and all Rufus heard as a dial-tone.

A figure stepped forward from the shadows, "I take it that was that our northern contact?"

Rufus nodded, "Yes, Tseng. It appears the war machine is moving slower than expected. We have to send more men if we are going to stand a chance against this new threat."

Tseng slowly nodded, "Very good, sir. I'll have a boat prepped and ready by morning. But... what about Cloud's group?"

The other man sat quietly for a moment, rubbing his chin as he thought. "Reeve may have been right... but they have their own parts to play."


	9. The Wolf & the Snake

**-Chapter 9-**

**The Wolf & the Snake**

_I was born without this fear, now only this seems so clear_

_I need to move, I need to fight, I need to lose myself tonight_

_Come with me now, I'm gonna take you down, come with me now, I'm gonna show you how_

* * *

><p>The villagers walked up and down the dirt paths, some were coming in from working the fields, whilst others were on their way to the armory to equip themselves for their shifts of guarding the fort. But as many of them rounded one corner, and they looked up, they would see a dark figure, sticking out plainly against the silhouette of the waning moon. This stranger had come three days ago, seeking council with the head of the fort, saying that "A storm is approaching," and "This place might soon be nothing but fire and ash." And though he spoke in cryptic and macabre riddles, the leaders understood he meant them no ill will, and allowed him to stay. The villagers had noted that this man barely moved from his perch, which was little more than a makeshift balcony that served as a lookout tower.<p>

The man slowly crossed his arms, his tattered cloak whipping around him as the wind continued to shift direction. Yet his eyes remained fixated on the horizon. The sun would be rising soon, and already the edges of the sky began to light up in pale hues of green and dark blue. From his vantage point, he could see much of the surrounding area, and once the sun had come up, the ocean could be seen as well. For just a moment his eyes turned to the north, towards Midgar, and wondered how the people there had fared so far. Yet the stranger knew that things were about to change... and not entirely for the better.

His stay at Ford Condor had not entirely been a pleasant one. Most of the villagers and soldiers treated him with disdain, and would shy away from him as he passed, as though he were something unclean. Not that it mattered to him, as he knew his own appearance intimidated most people.

And that is exactly how he preferred it.

After a few minutes, the wind abruptly stopped, and all was silent. At this, the stranger very slightly smiled behind his raised collar, "It is time..." He whispered to himself.

Out in the distance, a long line of lights suddenly flared to life, and began to move towards the fort. At least a hundred armored trucks were barreling across the fields and right toward the fortress. Immediately, warning bells and the shouts of men scrambling for their weapons, and women and children hurrying to designated shelter points broke the silence. Half of the trucks suddenly veered off to the right, to circle around so that all of the fort was surrounded in a half-circle.

At that moment, a soldier stepped out onto the balcony, "Hey, buddy! Ya better get to cover or get the hell outta here! Cuz this ain't lookin' good!"

"Hmph," The stranger replied, "I will fight."

The soldier raised an eyebrow, "Well unless that fancy gauntlet of yours ain't just for show, ya probably need to be somewhere else! Unless you're gonna shout 'em to death!"

"If I were you... I'd worry more about myself, than a stranger,"

"Wha? What the hell are you talkin'-"

A grenade suddenly whittled past the stranger's head, who did little more than blink, and land at the feet of the soldier. The man didn't even have time to look down before it detonated, the crimson clad stranger leaping off the now destroyed balcony, and landing on the ground below. Around him, people continued to run in all directions.

Vincent Valentine calmly peered over the edge of the cliff, and saw two large trucks, each with behemoth ladders attached. They were quickly raised and shot out towards were he stood. Vincent ducked, just as one of the large ladders zipped by his head, and crashed into the mountainside, sending dust and rocks scattering. He then heard several 'clunks' and assumed the ends were built with anchors, to keep the ladders in place. He also saw several other trucks which continued to circle the entire compound, firing mounted turret guns, and individual men firing from the backs with their rifles.

The sound of gunfire quickly filled the night air, and it never stopped. Vincent dashed further up the path, which circled around the mountain and looked towards the south. He saw two similar ladders of large size, and men were already clambering up them. The fort's defenders stood around the ladders and fired down at the invaders, but were soon pushed back by flash bangs and fog grenades. Another soldier rushed by Vincent at that moment, he reached out and grabbed his arm with his left hand. Never once did he take his eyes off the men below.

"You, get the women and children out of here." He said,

"Who the hell are you to give me an or-" The other man began, but quickly silenced himself as he felt the crimson robed one tighten the grip on his arm, "I-I mean yes, sir!" And ran away to carry out the order.

Finally, Vincent saw enough, and threw himself from the cliff, drawing from his hip the three-barreled gun. Before his feet ever hit the ladder, he had fired several volleys at the men attempting to come up the ladders, trying to force them to cluster and make for easier targets. It worked, and after a few more rounds of shots, the first ladder was cleared of men. Not skipping a beat, Vincent leaped across to the other ladder, again firing volleys of lead as he flew through the air. When he landed here, he thrust the gold gauntlet out to grasp a man by his throat, and throw him down the shaft towards the ground. Like a bowling ball, the large man knocked off several of his comrades. Above him, more of the fort's soldiers clustered around the ladder, and began to return fire and drop grenades amongst the enemy troops.

The ex-Turk was forced to retreat back to the cliff as a hail of gunfire suddenly began to strike around his feet, though he returned a few more shots in turn before taking cover behind the rocks. To his right, another group of men were attempting to dislodge the ladder, but to no avail. One man even tried to destroy it with a string of grenades, but that also failed.

Vincent knew then that the defenders were fighting a losing battle.

* * *

><p>"All right! I'm sick of playing with these peasants who think they're soldiers! Fire up the Geo-Leviathan!" Reij shouted from the back of a truck.<p>

"Aye aye, sir!" A man called from the rear. Not a moment later, a gargantuan sized truck rumbled up to the front of the convoy, and on the back of it was what resembled a large cannon larger than the truck, which was decorated with various graffiti from the soldiers themselves.

Reij grinned in the most evil way imaginable, and hopped off the truck with an excited whoop. He quickly placed himself at the back of the large weapon, which featured a seat and a board of various colored lights and switches. Just then, another man came running up, "But sir! What about the baby phoenix? It could still be up there!"

But Reij shoved the man away with a sneer, "To hell with that oversized chicken! If boss-man wanted it unharmed then he should have said something before hand!" He then began flipping switches and mashing a few buttons, using a small wheel to direct the Geo-Leviathan exactly where he wanted it. The weapon then began to make a low pitched whirring noise, as it charged itself up to fire.

"What do ya' think the casualty rate will be with this weapon, sir?" A henchman asked,

Reij laughed, "Total fucking annihilation I hope!" Then slammed his fist on a giant red button. The resounding 'boom' could be heard all the way in Edge.

* * *

><p>Vincent had ran back down the path to try and fend off men from the other entrance points, but it became more and more obvious that these were not simple mercenaries. No, these men had been trained. The defenders had assumed maybe it was ShinRa fanatics, but in the slowly brightening sunrise, there were no distinguishable marks to identify who they fought for. Right then, all any of them cared about was survival.<p>

At that moment, a boom was heard, as if from a cannon. Vincent barely had time to look up and see where the noise came from, when an earth-shattering, ear-splitting explosion rocked the early morning. The entire area was suddenly lit up in an orange and yellow hue, as though the sun suddenly appeared in the sky. Vincent quickly threw his cloak around him as the great fireball erupted just ten feet above him; chunks of rock, debris of all sorts, and worst of all, bodies flew all around the area. When the fireball finally subsided, Vincent threw the cloak back off of him, unharmed, though his ears rang a bit from the sudden explosion.

When his hearing finally returned, he heard cheers of excitement and taunting from the army below. Vincent spotted the giant weapon that had launched the missile, but was more interested in the man behind it. He was of muscular build, his hair was light colored, cropped, and brushed toward the back of his head. "Right boys! I just paved the way for us! Finish 'em off so we can get back to that nagging prick of a leader!" Vincent heard the man call. He would remember the face for some time after that.

The soldiers cheered, and restarted their assault, now certain they were going to win. Vincent looked around, and saw nothing but charred bodies, some of them men, some of them women. He looked back down and saw more men headed his way, and knew he could not hold them off alone. So instead, he hurried further down the path and hurled himself off the cliff, to land on a small outcropping. There were no men on this side of the fort, so he could sneak away into the night quickly and quietly. He paused however, as a line of people to his left his attention.

It was hard to tell if they were men, women, children, or perhaps all three. It was a single line, scurrying away from there as far as they could. Vincent took a step towards them to try and help, but was too late. Around the corner came three trucks, the men on them cheering and firing their weapons upon the presumed civilians. No mercy was shown on them, and some even met a far worse end by being mowed down by the heavy trucks.

Vincent turned away from this in disgust, knowing that Fort Condor was now lost. Without another thought, he slipped down the cliff side and took off running into the night, fast as he could.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII]' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Later that morning, Rufus had confined himself to his office, posting both Tseng and Rude outside to make sure no one would bother him. The phone had been ringing off the hook ever since the early hours, and for a moment the former president considered hiring a second secretary just to assist in returning phone calls. Then again, some of what was discussed he did not trust to anyone else. Such as the phone call he was on now.<p>

"Is everything in place? You're sure?" He said into the phone. On the other end, the call was half static and the man could barely make out what was being said.

Rufus started to grow impatient, and strained his ear to catch bits and pieces of the responses, "I'm surprised you westerners even HAVE cellphones. I can barely hear what you're saying."

A pause, followed with another garbled response.

Rufus nodded, "Good. Maybe we'll learn some more about our new friend, then," and placed the phone back on its receiver.

At that moment, Tseng opened the door and stepped inside, "Sir, Reeve is here and wants to speak with you."

"Let him in, and make sure every one else stays out, Tseng."

The lead Turk then stepped aside and allowed Reeve to enter, the doors shutting firmly behind him. Reeve's eyes were half bloodshot, as though he had not slept in several days.

"Some things have come to my attention that need explaining, Rufus."

Rufus sighed, "If I had a gil for every time I've heard that, the ShinRa bank accounts would be triple what they were! What is it now?"

Reeve threw a thick brown file in front of the other man, a large red stamp reading, "CLASSIFIED – SHINRA ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY" clearly printed on the front of it. Rufus didn't even have to open the file to know what it contained.

"And who gave you access to this information?"

"Being a former ShinRa executive, I gave myself access to it. Surely you've heard about what happened at the Seventh Heaven last night?"

Rufus nodded, "Yes, I did. Very tragic," He spoke in a tone that, while he wasn't uncaring about the tragedy, he did not care about it right then, "How is your investigation coming?"

Reeve scoffed in annoyance, stepping forward and placing both palms on the desk, "It's being taken care of. What I want to talk about-" he paused, and tapped a finger on the file in front of Rufus, "-is this. As the founder and leader of the World Regenesis Order, I wasn't aware it was ultimately YOUR decision on how you spend our resources without first consulting me."

Rufus slowly pulled the hood from over his head, so that he could stare directly into the other man's eyes, "Ultimately it IS my decision, since I am the one who funded, and continues to fund, the WRO. Last I checked, a man is entitled to spend his own money as he likes."

Reeve's eyes narrowed, "You want to know what I honestly think, Rufus?"

"Not really, but the look in your eyes says you're going to tell me anyway. Maybe you should sit, we might be here a while."

Reeve did not sit, "That you've buried your old mentality, your father's mentality, somewhere deep inside of your mind and you slowly begin to bring it back to light." Here he paused, and removed a stack of stapled notes from his coat, and forcefully threw them down in front of Rufus. They were notes taken from various police questionings, ranging from Cloud, Tifa, the children, a few locals, and even the two captured men. Rufus picked them up and slowly looked over them as Reeve continued to speak,

"A man is indeed entitled to spend his own money, but at the expense of what, Rufus? You look only at the big picture and how it benefits you. While you hide in this office behind the Turks, funding a secret war machine in the north, the enemy is already at our doorstep! Those innocent children were attacked! Tifa was assaulted and almost raped! Yet you sit there acting as you don't care but still expect Cloud to help you? I-"

Rufus finally had to cut him off, "It's unfortunate what happened to Lockhart, but the point is the plan did not fall through. I looked at your reports, and it seems Cloud arrived just in time. I don't worry about it because there is indeed a much bigger picture to look at. And that picture is the prevention of another calamity like Meteorfall!"

"You still think that every one is a piece on a chess board and you're the master puppeteer? You can't play with life!"

"I am doing what is necessary to ensure the survival of this planet, and this city. Sometimes you have to stretch yourself thin to do what is best for the rest of your species. And I intend to make sure mankind, and this city, continues to thrive."

Reeve grit his teeth, trying to hold his anger in check, "And what about every thing else? Your pledge to rebuild the city? And what about what goes on here? If this silver haired menace decides to march his army right to the city, whatever goes on overseas won't matter because we'll all be destroyed!"

Rufus held up his hand, "Calm down, Reeve. You treat me as though I'm still a tyrannical dictator, who only cares about my own gains at the expense of another person's suffering. The ShinRa resources are greater than you think, but it seems war is an expensive business. You will still have funding to train more volunteers and build more weapons. But understand that won't be enough in the long run."

"If you had just told me what you were planning to do, then I would not be as angry," Reeve commented,

"Perhaps you're right. Maybe I was wrong to keep it a secret. But, you now must keep that secret. You tell," here Rufus paused and put severe emphasis on the next two words, "No. One. Not even Cloud and the others."

Here Reeve stood straight up, "What sort of game are you playing, Rufus? I'm not going to let you sacrifice my friends on your behalf."

"Relax, I'm not intending on doing that, and I could use your help regarding matters in the north. But it must be kept a secret because I-" Suddenly, there came a sharp rap on the door. Both Reeve and Rufus shouted,

"Who is it!?"

The doors parted to reveal Lysa, her dark red hair pulled back into a short ponytail. She bowed in apology, "Sorry, sir. But there is a man here who says he knows you, and you'll want to hear what he has to say."

Rufus scoffed, "Tell him to come back later."

But Lysa continued, "He came in behind Reeve and refuses to leave. Says it's about the militia army, and could be a matter of life and death!"

Reeve then turned to look at the man in the wheelchair, "Perhaps we'll continue this later." He said it more as a fact than a question.

"Send him in then."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Tifa awoke to find herself alone in the bed. She rolled over and sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and holding the sheets over her still naked body. It took a moment for her to register that she was alone. In a panic, she looked over to the other bed, to see if there was a note. Nothing. She looked to the floor, and saw that her clothes were still there, but Cloud's were gone. She calmed herself when she heard movement downstairs, however, and thought she heard his voice.<p>

Tifa sat there for a moment, thinking quietly to herself, and soon regretted it. Instantly, the attack on her came flashing back to the forefront of her mind. She clearly saw the man's face and the horrific things he wanted to do to her, and nearly succeeded. She remembered feeling helpless, unable to defend herself, or even the children. Before she knew it, tears began to well up at the corner's of her eyes, and it took all her strength to hold them back. "It's all over now..." She remembered Cloud telling her.

But she knew that it wasn't over. That the person who ordered those men to attack them was still out there walking free. And if he could do such a thing to innocent children, what other despicable things was he capable of? Instantly, she remembered a name from last night, and she latched onto it immediately.

_Reij._

Was he the leader of the militia army? Tifa did not know, and Tifa did not care if he were a leader or just another soldier. As far as she knew, this man was the one responsible for the attack. She vowed to find out whatever she could about this man, and make him pay for what happened. She stood up with renewed vigor and stepped towards her dresser, just as she heard the door being unlocked, and Cloud stepped in. In an instant, the bad feelings went away, and Tifa managed a small smile, "Heya, stranger."

Cloud returned the smile, "Heya, back. How are you feeling?" As he stepped over and kissed her forehead.

"I'll be better once I shower, I think... how are the children?"

"Downstairs, eating. They're still a little shaken and Denzel won't talk to me. But they're fine." Cloud said. "Also, Reeve called; said he's going to stop by later. He sent a crew to fix the front door and windows. I've been helping however I could."

Tifa nodded, one less thing she would have to worry about. "Thank you, Cloud... for everything." and stood up on her tiptoes to peck him on the lips.

"Reeve's men are still downstairs, so you probably shouldn't come down like that..." Cloud grinned, "Unless you want to. It's a good look for ya!"

Tifa's face turned red, and she swatted him on the arm and pushed him out the door. "Get out of here, pervert!"

The door was then shut, and she sighed, happily. Maybe at least for a time, things could go back to normal. But the woman also knew that things were never going to be the same again...for her, the children, and for Cloud. And right then, sitting underneath flowing hot water sounded wonderful. She collected a few clothes and scurried to the shower before anyone noticed.

* * *

><p>Before Tifa even began down the stairs, she was met with the sounds of drilling, and hammering. As she slowly came down, some of the men looked up at her, and offered their condolences and apologies for what had happened. Tifa merely nodded, and remarked that she didn't want to discuss it so soon, but thanked them regardless. She noted that the windows were replaced, but now sported iron bars across them. She didn't entirely approve as it hardened the entire room a bit much; she didn't want her customers to feel like they were in a jail cell. The front door was being replaced, and could see several rows of deadbolt locks and even a few security sliding bolts. Tifa raised an eyebrow at this, but was glad for the improvements. Reeve really had gone above and beyond to protect his friends.<p>

Cloud was one of the men repairing the door hinges, and when he looked up and saw Tifa, he gave a small smile. Tifa returned it, then went to the far corner of the room, where Marlene and Denzel were sitting quietly.

"Are you two okay?" Tifa had asked.

Denzel looked away and said nothing, but Marlene replied, "Yes... where's daddy at!? Did the bad men get him too!?"

Tifa placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder, "I don't know where he is, sweetie... here, do you wanna call him?" And handed over her PHS, which Marlene gladly accepted.

"Tifa," Denzel finally said, "why did this have to happen?"

Tifa did not know how to respond, "Bad things happen sometimes, Denzel, and we can't do anything about it."

"Cloud could have done something about it, if he hadn't left!"

"You know why he had to leave, Denzel," Tifa's voice suddenly hardened, "He came back and he saved us." She stopped herself when she realized how she was speaking; very rarely had she ever done that. "Don't be mad at Cloud, he didn't know that it was a trick. No one can change the past... you just gotta learn from it."

Denzel looked away again, and said nothing more. Tifa stepped away and, grabbing a broom from the corner, began sweeping up the broken glass that was still scattered behind the bar.

* * *

><p>After the door was finished, Cloud stepped backward to admire the new security details. If anyone managed to break in, save using explosives, they would be lucky. Though one of the workers had told Cloud the door was actually bullet and shrapnel proof at the center, but it was somehow built with wood around it, to give it a more warm and welcoming look. "Reeve came up with it years ago but never found a reasonable use for it! You guys are the first!" He had said to Cloud.<p>

At that moment, Cloud's phone started to ring. He checked the number, which was blocked, and decided he was not in the mood. He wondered for just a moment, whatever happened to Barret and Yuffie? The phone continued to ring, still a blocked number. Finally, after the phone went off for the tenth time, Cloud angrily flipped it open, "I don't know who this is, but I'm not in the mood to-"

He was cut off, and the voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, "So, we speak at last, Cloud."

"Who the hell is this?"

The voice chuckled, "If I had to guess, I'm your new worst enemy. Tell me, how is your little girlfriend and the children?"

Immediately, Cloud began to grow angry, "You're that man with the silver-hair...the leader of the militia."

"Ding ding! Ten points goes to Mr. Strife! A shame what happened, really. Not the whore being attacked, but the fact that the man you killed spilled the beans, so to speak. Just imagine what would have happened, had he not opened his mouth?"

"How do you know all that? Who are you, really? And how did you get my number?" Cloud demanded, and what he heard next made his blood run cold.

"War is based on deception, Mr. Strife. If your enemy's don't know who you are or what you want, how could they possibly know what you're going to do next? With friends in both high and low places, its my business to know."

At this, Cloud felt his grip on the phone tighten; right then he wanted to break it. "Whatever you're planning to do, I'll be there to stop you. I promise you, when I find you, I'm gonna-" He was cut off again,

"Yes, yes, you're going to cut my heart out and force feed it to my dog and blah blah. You're a powerful man, Cloud; the fact you defeated Sephiroth is testament to that. But here's something to think about: what good is power if you can't protect the people you love? We'll talk again soon." Then the line clicked, and a dial-tone was heard.

Before Cloud could turn and throw the phone as far as he could, he saw two familiar forms coming down the street. It was Barret, and Yuffie, followed by a team of four WRO infantrymen. 'Oh, damn...'

When they got closer, Cloud opened his mouth to speak, but Barret shouldered past him, "I'll deal with you later, chocobo-head!" And forced his way past the men still standing around the front door to the bar.

"All he said on the way back was how 'Marlene had better be safe!' and 'I'll use that blonde-headed foo' as a dust mop if she ain't!'" Yuffie had said, trying to mimic Barret's voice as best she could. It caused Cloud to chuckle, but very briefly. He was still seething from the phone call.

"So what happened!?" Yuffie continued, "Reeve said some men tried to break into the bar, but he wouldn't say anything else! Spill the beans, Cloud!"

But Cloud shook his head, and walked towards the bar. He knew Tifa wouldn't want anyone to know what nearly happened to her. She would tell them if she did, "Nothing more to say, Yuffie. What's with the soldiers, though?"

"Weeeeeelllll. After we got back, we took the man we bagged to Reeve. That was late last night, I guess the attack already happened! Anyway, Reeve told us, but wouldn't let anyone come down here, cuz I guess they were still investigating outside. 'Damaging evidence' and all that jazz!" Yuffie had to pause, to take a breath, "You know Barret, he wasn't having none of that, Reeve had to actually lock him up so he wouldn't come down here! As for these guys... Reeve's request, of course. Just in case any trouble gets started."

Cloud could only roll his eyes as he and the others stepped inside the bar. Barret was in the corner, holding Marlene close, Denzel was nowhere in sight. Tifa was speaking to one of the workers about what she wanted to do about the back door, though was interrupted when Yuffie ran over to hug her. The blonde stood at the doorway watching all of this, reflecting on how he nearly lost them all, so many times. His friends, his family. And now the enemy was calling, making threats and taunts? What was going to happen next?

Outside, a black WRO car pulled up, the driver rushing to open up the back door, and Reeve stepping out of it. As he entered, it was easy to note that Barret had shot the man a deathly glare, but soon turned away and paid him no mind.

"Reeve, welcome back. Your guys have done a real good job. Thank you again!" Tifa said, and Reeve nodded.

"So what's going on now, Reeve? Did you find out anything?"

"Yes, and then some. But I'm afraid that's gonna have to wait. Rufus has-"

Cloud didn't want to hear it, and instantly cut him off, "If its another job, forget it. You see what happened the last time I followed his orders."

But Reeve shook his head, "It's nothing like that, Cloud... not really. We just got some new information from a... friend. Said you need to come at once. It's about the enemy's army."

"And this 'friend' can't come here?" Tifa commented,

"He's being questioned right now, it could be a while. Which means you'll want to get to the Tower at once. And I promise, when you return I'll tell you and Tifa all I found out. Meanwhile, I need to talk to Barret and Yuffie..."

Barret snorted, "Why don't ya take yer' boss' wheelchair and stick it up yer' ass!" Clearly, he was still angry from the other night, about being locked up. "I don't care if yer' my boss or not, you have no right to keep me from my daughter!" And continued to rant.

"Come on, Cloud," Tifa said, placing both palms on his shoulders, "We might learn something useful."

The blonde sighed, "Right, come on. And Barret? Try not to kill anyone and go back into a cell."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Cloud and Tifa stepped out of the elevator, to be greeted by Lysa, "Welcome back. Boss-man is waiting for you two. Go ahead."<p>

They turned and stepped towards the door, Rude nodding in acknowledgment and opening one of the doors for them to pass through. They saw Rufus as always behind the desk, Tseng standing off to the left, and a familiar face neither of them expected to see.

"Vincent! You're a sight for sore eyes!" Tifa exclaimed as soon as she saw the red cloak.

Vincent had been standing in the corner, arms crossed. He looked up at Tifa and nodded, "Tifa." Cloud stepped over and briefly shook his hand, before turning to Rufus.

"I'm not even gonna talk to you about what happened last night, because I'm sure you don't care. What have you learned?"

Rufus said nothing at first, only stared at the blonde. Finally, "You know what you and Reeve have in common? You both think I'm still heartless. Of course I care, which is why Reeve is taking care of-"

"Can it, Rufus," Cloud interrupted, "What have you learned?"

There was an uncomfortable silence, which Vincent finally broke, "Fort Condor was attacked by the militia. No one was spared."

The air in the room suddenly grew heavier, as the information was processed. "This was last night? How could they take the fort so quickly?" Tifa asked. Vincent looked away.

"With this," Tseng cut in, placing a photograph of a large cannon-like weapon, mounted to the back of a huge truck. "The 'Geo-Leviathan' I believe its called. Capable of launching miniature nukes and other devastating missiles."

Cloud and Tifa stepped closer to the desk, and examined the picture closely. "That looks familiar... the Sister Ray?" Cloud commented,

But Rufus shook his head, "The Ray was much larger than that. But it could very well be a prototype of the weapon. But how they would acquire such intelligence is beyond me. Most of the old ShinRa weapon designs and other such things were destroyed after Meteorfall."

"There could be someone working on the inside," Vincent suddenly said, and all eyes turned to him, causing the man to shift uncomfortably against the wall.

"What are you saying, Valentine? That one of us is secretly working with the enemy!?" Tseng said a little louder than he should have.

"Enough, Tseng." Rufus said, "The WRO and myself personally keep tabs on what little knowledge was leftover from that era... for whatever it might be needed for. A shame, really; we could use a weapon like that at our disposal."

"What happens now, Rufus?" Tifa piped in.

"Reeve, Tseng, and I are formulating a counter-attack on the fort with what little resources we possess. Vincent here claims all of the fort's inhabitants were killed, so we need not worry about harming innocents," Rufus replied, "Reeve has already moved all standing forces around the perimeter of the city to keep watch."

"And you want me to 'stay available,' am I right?" Cloud said,

Rufus chuckled, "We were hoping you would lead the ground assault. But I can see what the answer is. Maybe later on you'll reconsider?"

"Not likely. The last time I did something for you..." Cloud trailed off, turning to Tifa, who now had a look of fear in her eyes. So soon, the enemy was already so close. What was going to happen to the children? To her? To him?

"Then I guess we're done here, for now." Rufus proclaimed, "Reeve should be done talking to your gargantuan friend with the metal arm by now. If you change your mind about wanting to help, you know where I am, Cloud."

Cloud raised an eyebrow at the mention of Reeve talking to Barret; how would he know, and why was it relevant? He put an arm around Tifa's shoulders, and started for the exit. Vincent slowly followed behind them, not even turning around. He did, however, stop at the door, and turned to Rude, who regarded him with a strange look.

"That woman," Vincent whispered, looking towards the red-haired Lysa, who was furiously typing at her computer, "who is she, exactly?"

Rude stared at the other for a moment, then went on, "Name's Lisa Howtzer, new Turk candidate. She works with the WRO's new counter-terrorism division."

"Fairly new?"

Rude nodded, "Been with us two or three months now. Why?"

Vincent only shook his head and followed Cloud and Tifa into the elevator.

* * *

><p>As soon as Vincent walked away and the doors were shut, Rufus heaved a sigh, burying his forehead into one of his palms.<p>

"Seems Valentine has been asking too many questions, sir. How should we deal with him?" Tseng asked.

"Leave him and the rest of Cloud's little friends be, we'll see how they choose to play their roles."

Tseng nodded, but continued. "The questionings of the two captives aren't yielding positive results, sir. What about them?"

Rufus said nothing, but pondered, weighing odds, determining the consequences, and so on. He nodded, as if confirming something, then spoke.

"Take them to the basement levels... interrogate them the way the Turks used to. Maybe then one of them will squeal."

The lead Turk walked to the back of the room, to a second set of double doors, but turned at the last moment and asked, "And what about Reeve? You know he'll be squawking about this when he finds out."

"You let me deal with Reeve. You make sure we get the information we need. And quickly."


	10. Solving the Riddle

**-Chapter 10-**

**Solving the Riddle**

_The light in the window is a crack in the sky, a stairway to darkness in the blink of an eye_

_A levee of tears to learn she'll never be coming back, the man in the dark will bring another attack_

_Your mama told you you're not supposed to talk to strangers, look in the mirror and tell me, do you think your life's in danger here?_

* * *

><p>The man had been unconscious for a while. When he finally awoke, he was in a dark room, a single bright bulb directly above him being the only light source. When he tried to move, he discovered he was bound to a hard metal chair, his arms behind his back and tightly tied together with rope and chains. His legs were likewise bound. He panicked for a moment and tried to call out, but found that his mouth and throat were dry, so the only sound that came out was something like a muted croak.<p>

The single light suddenly flicked off, leaving the man in total darkness. A moment later, he heard a heavy door opening behind him, and hinges creaking loudly. He then heard footsteps, and tried to turn around, his peripheral vision seeing three silhouettes walking through an open door. The door was quickly shut with a loud bang, and then there was silence.

"Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" He heard a voice say. A moment later, electricity crackled and popped to life right in front of his face. The energy came from the tip of a steel rod, the captive just able to catch a glimpse of the bright red hair from the man holding the rod.

"Who the fuck are you guys and what do you-" The man began, but was quickly silenced as the rod was shoved into his gut, and electricity shot through his entire body.

"We ask the questions here, buddy!" The same voice responded.

"We know you were one of the men who attacked Tifa Lockhart's bar," A second, gruffer voice said, "And we also know you're part of the militia army. Who's your leader!?"

After catching his breath from the electric shock, the chained man laughed, "I ain't telling you bastards a damn thing!"

"Wrong answer," The gruff voice replied, and the man felt a hard punch connect to his jaw. Instantly he tasted blood, but still chuckled darkly.

"Is that all you got you-" Again he was silenced as electricity shot through his body. But this time, the wattage had been upped, and it continued longer than last time.

"You must not have a high interest in living, buddy!" The first voice said.

"Right, that's enough. Hit the lights." A female voice this time.

The prisoner was suddenly blinded as the light returned to the room. When his vision cleared, he saw two men. One was tall, bulky, and bald. The other was the redheaded man with the electric rod. Both of them wore black suits, and while the redhead had an amused grin on his face, the bald one did not look too pleased.

Reno stepped forward, to stand beside the chained man, and put a palm on his shoulder, "Now, personally, I'd rather deal with me than my friend here," and gestured towards Rude, who cracked his knuckles menacingly. "I seen this guy break a man straight in half with no effort!"

"Turks... hah. You guys don't scare me. If you knew the guys I worked with..." Again he was forced to silence himself, as Rude stepped forward, spun, and planted the heel end of his boot across the mans ribs. The blow barely missed Reno's arm by a hair's breadth.

"Hey, watch it buddy! I just had this suit washed!" Reno yelled.

"Bad idea, given the circumstances," Rude simply stated.

Both men then stepped aside as the third person entered the view of the prisoner. He saw a thin woman, with dark red hair pulled back. She was considerably smaller than her male counter parts, but she had an air of authority about her, even though she was of lower rank than the other two.

"We can do this the easy way, or we can do it the real easy way," Lysa said.

The prisoner said nothing.

"Right then. Let's do it your way, guys," The female then slowly unbuttoned her overcoat, which in turn caused the prisoner to raise an eyebrow, and laugh again.

"Ya know... you're almost as pretty as that bar wench we attacked...almost. She had a bigger rack than you though."

Lysa threw the overcoat onto the floor and quickly threw out her left fist. The impact was so quick and hard that the man, chair and all, fell backwards and hit the solid floor with a loud noise. The right side of his head was numb, both from the punch, and from hitting the floor.

"Damn, chick! Nice shot!" Reno laughed.

"I learned from the best," She replied, winking at Rude, who could only adjust his sunglasses.

Reno picked the chair back up, and as soon as he did, Rude threw out another punch, then another, and another, each one hitting the prisoner in his ribs and face. By now, he was coughing up wads of blood, and spitting out teeth. He barely had time to register the punches when, once again, an electric shock pierced his body and caused it to go rigid.

"Enough, Reno. We don't want to kill the man." Lysa said.

"Yo, I don't take orders from you!"

"Let's try something different..." And the female reached into the back of her pants, and pulled out a wicked looking knife. It was only four inches long, but the sharp edge was cut inward, to form a long row of 'teeth'.

Coyly, Lysa then sat in the mans lap, and gently cradled his face as if he were her child, "Just tell us what you know, and it'll all be over soon. We want the names of the commanders, where they're getting their recruits from, and what they're going to do next." Then jammed the knife into the side of the man's arm, who in turn let out a blood-curdling, agonized scream.

"Okay, okay! For fuck's sake just stop it already! I'll tell you what you wanna know!"

Satisfied, Lysa got up, leaving the knife in the man's arm.

"I'll get medical down here to patch him up. Don't want him to bleed out before he tells us anything." Rude said, then promptly left the room.

"What in the hell did you do before you joined the Turks, chick?" Reno asked with a laugh.

But Lysa only winked, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

* * *

><p>Three hours later, the man had been patched up and was being questioned by WRO police, supervised by Lysa and Tseng, both of whom barely looked up from scribbling down notes. Suddenly, Lysa's phone went off.<p>

"This is Howtzer. What's the news, sir?" It was her supervisor, the head over the counter-terrorism section. "Uh huh. Really? I'll call Reeve and let him know at once. Thank you sir." Then hung up the phone and started for the exit. Tseng stopped her.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"That was my third boss-man," Her first and second being Rufus and Tseng, respectively, "Scouting party has some more pictures and info on the rebel army. Apparently Reeve wanted to put together a set of index cards, so to speak, for Cloud and his group. They're patching it all together now."

"Very good. Tell the head of the CTD I'll follow up with what I learn from the prisoner, and we'll thatch it together."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>When Cloud and Tifa finally returned to the bar, the atmosphere was very different, and not for the better, as the mood had changed from tense, to depressing. Vincent was not present, as he had departed after the trio left the WRO Tower, but promised to return later that evening. No one questioned him.<p>

Tifa was the first one to step through the threshold and into the bar. Reeve and Barret were sitting at the bar, talking quietly amongst themselves. Yuffie was spotted in the back kitchen, sitting on the edge of a stove, and seemed to be lost in thought. The children were once again nowhere in sight.

"What's going on? Why does everyone look so... down?" Cloud asked, stepping into the room behind Tifa. Not soon after, he mentally slapped himself. Considering all that was going on, it was a stupid question.

Reeve looked up, and beckoned the two over, "You're just in time. I just got done telling Barret about what we're going to do next."

Tifa sat next to Barret, but Cloud continued to stand. The blonde raised an eyebrow, "And that would be?"

"I'll let Barret explain." Reeve replied, then dismissed himself to the kitchen to speak with the ninja.

"Barret, what in the world is going on? Rufus knew Reeve was down here talking to you, and..." Tifa began.

At this, Barret finally turned and faced the two of them. "Yeah, that jackass seems to have his fingers in more than one pie!" He tried to force his trademark grin, but found it harder than expected. "Rufus wants me to take the kids outta the city, consideringwith all the crap that's going on."

Now the man had Cloud's attention, and he stepped closer. "What are you talking about?"

"Just what I said, foo'! While I was locked up last night, Rufus comes to me himself and says it ain't safe for the kids no more. I says, 'no shit! Look at what happened to them!' But ya know... maybe I was wrong about him. He actually seemed real concerned about their well-being, and he ain't even met 'em before!"

This almost struck Cloud like a blow to the face. So maybe Rufus Shinra wasn't the cold-hearted shadow game that he used to be. He scratched the back of his head, trying to process this information, while Tifa spoke next,

"Still... Rufus has another side, you can't deny that. I'll be happy if the children are safe and nothing like that attack happens to them again. But what about you? Is there anything else?"

The man started to speak, but Reeve came back in from the kitchen, "Barret is also going to spread news about not only the attack here, but also the siege of Fort Condor. Basically, to spread propaganda and see if more people can't be rallied to the fight."

Cloud glanced at the man with a suspicious eye, then turned back to Barret, "I'm assuming that's not what you told the kids?"

Barret threw up his hands, "Hell naw! You think I'm that dumb!? I told 'em we were goin' on vacation to Costa del Sol... help 'em forget what happened. They're excited, but kinda disappointed its just us three. They're upstairs packing now."

"But how are you going to tell people about this fight with Marlene and Denzel? They don't need to know what's really going on," Tifa commented.

"I have a friend who owns a villa in Costa del Sol, which is where Barret and the children will be staying. The children will remain there while Barret does his job." Reeve said, "I'm also sending Cait Sith with them, to help with spreading the message and to relay anything Rufus wants Barret to know and vice versa."

Tifa wasn't so sure. For the longest time she had thought the safest place for the children was right here, in the bar. But then that security was violated, and now it seemed like nowhere was safe. Even with the new security improvements, she wondered if that would even be enough? Still, the woman forced herself to look down, and said nothing for a minute.

Cloud broke the silence, "And your investigation, Reeve? What did you find out?"

Here, Reeve sat down on the other side of Barret, and pulled a brown envelope from his coat, "A few things that don't make any sense," Here he opened up the envelope and began to pass stacks of paper down the bar, so the others could see. Mostly, they were photos of the crime scene that night, both inside the bar and out, and some copies of police questionings. When Tifa saw the photos of the wrecked bar, the blood, the two dead men, she had to turn away and swallow hard, as she suddenly began to taste bile. Cloud stepped closer and slowly rubbed her back.

"First of all," Reeve continued, "we found a fourth set of footprints, that don't match anyone's here, or my own men. Which means there was possibly a fourth assailant. Tifa, you're sure you only saw three men?"

Tifa could only nod, not trusting herself to speak right then. Reeve continued,

"The fourth set was at the back door, and apparently, after the door was broken in, two other sets run into and through the kitchen...but this other set is running back down the alley. The footprints suddenly end, before the alley opens up to the streets. Then we found these nearby," Here, he pulled out a photo taken at the crime lab, of two lumpy, charred objects. Reeve explained they were a pair of standard issue black leather boots, which had been burned and discarded, to eradicate DNA and insole matchmaking. "Clearly, whoever owned these boots did not want to be discovered."

For a moment, a hard lump formed in Tifa's throat. She assumed this was some sort of mastermind, maybe someone who was tasked with getting the men into the bar and making sure the attack happened. Could it have been that man, Reij? The one member of this militia Tifa wanted to get her hands on?

"Whoever he was, he's lucky I wasn't here or I woulda'...woulda'...hell I don't know! But the last thing he'd have seen was this metal graft rippin' his eyeballs out!" Barret shouted, feeling his anger rise.

Reeve's cellphone suddenly went off, and he excused himself to the far corner of the room to take it. After quickly muttering goodbyes, he started for the door, "I'll come back tonight. Counter-terrorism division put together some files on our militia masterminds. And Barret?" Here he turned to the man, and grinned, just slightly. "Try not to eradicate Cait. I'll send over copies of the files to my friend in Costa del Sol when I get them. And good luck!" Then left without another word.

At that moment, Marlene came running down the stairs, dragging a pink and white suitcase that was almost as big as she was behind her. She left it at the final step and ran over to hug first Cloud, then Tifa, then ran to sit in her father's lap.

"Daddy says we're going on vacation! Why can't you come with us, Cloud!? Tifa!?"

Tifa reached over and patted the girl's head, "Because I have to take care of the bar and Cloud has his delivery service, remember?" She lied. Something clicked in Cloud's head, but for a moment he said nothing.

"We'll still have lots of fun, baby!" Barret said, standing up and putting the girl on his shoulder, "Hey! Where's lil' killer?"

Marlene replied,"He won't come out! Says he isn't leaving since Cloud isn't!"

Tifa, on instinct, but also force of habit, went to stand up, but Cloud put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down. "No, I'll do it. He's mad at me anyway."

* * *

><p>When Cloud opened the door to the children's bedroom, Denzel was sitting on top of a brown suitcase which had been packed, but he faced the window and stared blankly out of it. The boy turned around when he heard the door open, but quickly looked away when he saw who it was.<p>

"I already told Marlene I'm not going if you and Tifa aren't." He firmly said before Cloud even shut the door.

"Why not? You and Marlene are going to have fun. You've never even been to-"

"I don't want to have fun! I want to stay here and help! I begged Reeve all day to let me join the WRO, and he won't listen!" Denzel interrupted.

Cloud then sighed, walked over, and sat down on the bed next to the boy, who regarded the older male with pleading eyes.

"Please, Cloud! If you and Tifa aren't going, then at least let me stay here!"

"Denzel, it isn't safe here anymore. I know you want to help, but-"

Denzel suddenly shot off the bed and stood defiant in front of Cloud, "Don't say I can't help, because I can! I've always helped around here! Now I want to fight!"

But Cloud shook his head, "And I'm sure you would give the militia hell, Denzel. But these guys are different... they don't care about hurting women and children."

"I'm not a child!" Denzel shouted, stomping his foot. Tears had begun to form in his eyes, and he quickly looked down and rubbed them away.

At that moment, Cloud could almost see himself in the boy when he was that age. Brave, fearless. Wanting to protect his friends and family however way he could, even if it was impossible. "No... you're not. In fact, you're probably braver than me."

Denzel suddenly looked up, "What do you mean?"

"When I got to the bar to rescue you all, I was scared to death. More scared than I've ever been in my entire life. But I saw you run up the stairs after Marlene." Cloud said, lowering his voice just a little.

"I wasn't scared! I wanted to protect Marlene!"

Cloud nodded, "I know, buddy. And that's my point. You were braver that night than I was. I was afraid I was going to lose you guys."

Denzel seemed taken aback, "You... were afraid?"

"I was. Listen, Denzel, I can't think of a way to explain it so you can understand, but I gotta go after the men who did this to us."

"Then let me help-"

Cloud interrupted the boy by scooting closer and putting a palm on his shoulder. He spoke in a tone that was stern, but not harsh. "I can't fight these guys if I'm worried about you and Marlene. You remember what they almost did to you guys, right?" When he was certain he had the boys attention, he continued, "You say you want to help in whatever way you can, right? Now's your chance. Protect Marlene, and I'll protect Tifa. We'll protect this family... together. And when this is all over, we'll all go somewhere nice. I promise."

For a long time Denzel only stared down at the floor. But then he looked up with a fire in his eyes, and nodded. "Okay, Cloud... together!"

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was spent sorting out what the children had packed, and a greater sense of sadness had fallen over the entire place. Tifa didn't want to see them go, but knew that it was for the best. Better they leave now, in case something worse should happen. Yuffie had finally come out from the kitchen, and was now making a big deal out of it.<p>

"Why did this have to happen? We all came back together just like old times... now everyone's leaving again!" She commented at one point.

"Relax, chick!" Barret said in response, "I'm comin' back eventually! Besides... you got your own job to do!"

When Cloud heard this, he turned and regarded Yuffie with a strange look. The ninja in turn, quickly avoided his gaze and ran outside to play with the children one more time before they left. When questioned about this 'job,' she clammed up and wouldn't say a word.

Just after lunch time, a black car pulled up outside of the bar, in between two armored trucks. The WRO symbol was clearly printed on all three vehicles. Elena stepped out of the passenger seat of the car, and greeted the group outside. "Rufus personally wanted me and these fine gentleman here to make sure you make it to port. Mr. Wallace? Right this way, sir."

At that, Barret laughed, "Do I look like I'm wearin' a suit and tie!? Don't call me sir! C'mon, kids... it's sun and surf time!"

"Be sure to bring me back something pretty, Marlene!" Tifa said. The little girl nodded enthusiastically.

"Denzel," Cloud said, "remember what I told you." The boy looked up at the older male, "I will." he replied.

Barret then ushered the kids into the black car. Cloud stepped forward to regard Elena, but the blonde female already knew what the other was going to say. "Don't worry, Cloud. I'll keep them safe. You have my word."

The engines then rumbled to life, and the three vehicles slowly pulled away. Marlene leaned out the window and waved a final goodbye. Tifa, Cloud, and Yuffie waved in turn, Tifa fighting back looking sad.

"Well... now what!?" Yuffie said after a long minute of watching the vehicles leave.

Cloud huffed, turning around and going back into the Seventh Heaven, "We wait until Reeve comes back. Then you've got some explaining to do."

Yuffie groaned, but followed the other two inside, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

><p>Several hours passed, and the trio set about doing menial tasks around the bar. A few patrons had wandered in that night, bringing gossip about the siege of Fort Condor, and speculations about what kind of man the leader was. Drinks were served, but Tifa had to inform everyone that this night no food would be offered, because the usual chef called in sick. In truth, Cloud had confined himself to his and Tifa's bedroom to ponder everything that had happened, and refused to work that night. Tifa accepted it without a word. Yuffie remained downstairs, and bussed the dirty glasses and cleaned them for Tifa.<p>

The clamor of people talking over themselves was briefly silenced when the door was suddenly thrown open, clattering loudly against the wall. All eyes turned to see a raven-haired, crimson clad stranger walk in and, without looking at anyone else, immediately excused himself to the kitchen

"Welcome back, Vincent. Didn't think you'd show up this time!" Tifa said to the main, who regarded her with little more than a nod before vanishing into the back.

"Boy, I hope that's not our house cook tonight... guy looked like a right freak!" One man commented after Vincent was out of sight.

"Did'ja see that golden claw? Wonder if he even has a hand!" Another said.

"Shaddap, both of ya! I bet'cha didn't see that big ass gun on his belt either! I reckon he could throw both of ya through the ceiling!" A third yelled. That in turn led to an argument between the three, and when it threatened to turn violent, Tifa had to tell them to leave. After, the remaining customers continued to talk about the militia army, yet it was more quieted chatter now.

Tifa sighed, wanting to at least go upstairs and be with Cloud. But she knew that money was needed, so even if she wanted to throw each and every person out of the bar right then, she couldn't.

The hours continued to pass.

* * *

><p>Some time after midnight, Reeve arrived with several business folders stuffed under each arm. The man looked like he hadn't had a wink of sleep since this whole ordeal began, and his suit was ruffled in a few places. He didn't seem to notice, or care.<p>

The bar had been cleared out some time ago, as Tifa had begun to grow weary of people talking about the militia, and only wanted peace and quiet. She even considered closing it permanently, or at least until all of the madness blew over. She had walked upstairs to fetch Cloud, and the two came back down the stairs as Yuffie was helping Reeve unfold a map of the entire world.

Now, four figures sat around a circular table in a dimly lit room. Vincent had taken a seat just to the side, but had turned his chair to face the fireplace in the corner. The only light source came from the fireplace, a few candles, and a single lamp on the edge of the table.

"So what did you find out?" To Cloud, that sentence seemed to be repeating itself a lot lately. He didn't like to be in the dark.

"Firstly, this was found on one of the captured soldiers, specifically the surviving assailant from the attack here," Reeve said, and pulled out a white envelope. He opened it, and pulled out a dark cloth, something akin to a bandana, and began to spread it out on top of the map.

"And what's so important about a handkerchief?" Yuffie said. A moment later, her question was answered.

In silver and white stitching, they saw a strange insignia. Everyone leaned in closer to look, but Vincent continued to stare blankly into the fire. The air in the bar grew heavy as they all realized what it was. JENOVA's head was staring defiantly, evilly, out at everyone, and at the base of her neck was what appeared to be a mountain, with three spires. To the left of the alien's head, was a curved blade, very closely resembling Sephiroth's sword, the Masamune. Crossed over the hilt of the blade, and beneath JENOVA's head, was a standard military rifle. The two weapons created an "L" shape, sat atop a single sentence, though it was more like a title:

"_The Brotherhood of the Planet"_

Cloud's blood once again started to run cold, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on edge.

"Well..." Yuffie again broke the silence, "at least its a better name than 'JENOVA's Witnesses'! Hah!" Yet no one laughed. No one said anything for a minute.

"So now we have a name for our enemies as a whole," Reeve went on, "and now, thanks to Lysa and the counter-terrorism teams, names for our individual enemies. You'll want to see this one first," and threw down a business file, passing it to Cloud. Tifa scooted closer to the blonde as he opened it. What they saw first was a black and white photograph of a man, his most distinguishing feature being a ropey scar, from his left temple to his right cheek. He had dark hair.

"This can't be the leader," Cloud commented.

"Keep reading," Reeve said.

Tifa narrowed her eyes as they scanned all over the file, jumping from place to place. "'Edward Cross... former ShinRa army captain, imprisoned for cyber terrorism against the now-defunct company.'" She read aloud.

"Basically," Reeve said, "he is an expert with computers. When ShinRa began to fall apart, he was looking for an opt out. So he slowly began to drain money and information out of the bank accounts and storage systems. How or when he escaped, no one knows, but I think it was during, or sometime after the Geostigma outbreak. As we understand it, he's the second in command to the Brotherhood."

"So since he's also former ShinRa, he knows about the weapons and tactics the army would use. And since he's good with computers... if that Geo-Leviathan weapon is a prototype of the old Sister Ray, that must be how they got their hands on it." Cloud stated.

Reeve nodded, "Indeed. At least, that's what every one is speculating. Here's another one." And placed another file down. Cloud pushed the previous one towards Yuffie and Vincent, then opened the new one.

This one contained a black and white photograph of a man with cropped, light hair, brushed backward. His toned cheek-bones and piercing glare gave him a sense of authority. For a moment, Cloud thought that this might be the leader. He looked at the name, and spoke it aloud. "'Reij'? What sort of role does-" He was interrupted, as Tifa suddenly snatched the file out of his hands. Cloud raised an eyebrow, and even Yuffie and Reeve gave her a questioning look.

Tifa stared hard at the photograph. Finally, a face was put to the person she believed was responsible for the attack. A fire lit inside of her as her hands began to shake, and never would she forget the face. "Says here he's a lieutenant for the army. A demolitions expert...the main operator of the Geo-leviathan." Tifa scoffed to herself, thinking that all the fire and shrapnel in the world wouldn't stop her from wringing this man's neck.

Cloud took the file away and gave it one more look over. Attached to the photo of Reij, was also a photo of the massive canon. He closed the file and again pushed it toward Yuffie, who looked it over slowly.

"That was the man who attacked Fort Condor," Vincent, who had not spoken a word the entire time, suddenly said. "He used that exact same weapon."

"And you couldn't have like, captured him or something!? Jeez, Vincent! You never struck me as the running away type!" Yuffie said, in a half-hearted teasing voice

For the first time, Vincent turned from the fire and stared at the ninja, his gaze causing her to sort of shrink in her seat, "When you're surrounded by men intent on killing you, accomplishing anything becomes impossible." He said in his usual tone, then turned back to the fireplace.

Reeve put a third file on the table, "And here's the one you all want to see, though I'm afraid its the least-informing of the lot." Then opened it.

Instead of the usual single, small photograph attached to an information sheet, there were instead several large pictures of the same man. Silver hair, stopping just above his eyes. A black robe which just below the waist split in two, no doubt for better maneuverability. In other photographs, a hood was pulled low over his head, standing upon a sort of stage and speaking to large groups of people. On the outside of the robe, were two silver pauldrons on his shoulders.

The pictures were scattered and passed around the table, and every one studied them extra hard. Even Yuffie knew that his was the leader of the militia. Finally, Cloud reached an information sheet. But there was nothing. No name, no age, no expertise. Nothing, save a single sentence underneath the 'General Notes/Information' section:

"_Leader of the mercenary rebel group known as the Brotherhood of the Planet"_

"Unfortunately, we know nothing of this man whatsoever. We do know, however, that he is just another man." Reeve said.

Tifa looked up from the file, "How do you know?"

Vincent answered instead, "Do you think someone like Kadaj, or even Sephiroth, would command an army?" He paused, to let the question sink in. "A Remnant certainly wouldn't order someone else to attack a single woman and two children...they would do it themselves."

"Precisely," Reeve went on, "But I'm afraid there is nothing more to say on him. There's one more file."

This one was passed around rather quickly, as they were not so much interested in another lieutenant. But they saw another man with long, raven hair, beads and feathers in both his hair and decorating his armor. A name, 'Tormuj', and that he was an expert on poisons and knife-throwing.

"Rufus said something about a counter-attack." Cloud said.

Reeve then cleared the table of everything but the large map, which had distinguishing marks, such as circles and X's drawn on different parts. "Yes. In fact, Rufus is going to call a war council within the next few days... he's still hoping you and your friends will help."

Tifa nodded, "I want to help however I can."

Cloud looked at the woman, with a concerned look in his eyes, "Tifa, its too dangerous."

She glared at the blonde, "Since when is it too dangerous? Haven't we always dealt with trouble before? It's no less dangerous for you than for me."

Reeve interrupted, "I was thinking it might actually be better for you to stay behind, Tifa, and maintain the bar. What with all of this going on, people do need a place to come and relax. Ease their minds."

"What, so another attack can happen just like before?" Cloud said, raising his voice a little, "If they really want to get to her, then next time they might succeed!"

Yuffie then jumped in, "But its not fair for her to stay behind while the rest of us fight!"

"I don't care, I'm not going to put her in-"

Tifa couldn't stand it anymore, and slammed her fist down on the table, caving it in just a little bit. "HELLO! I'm sitting right here and can speak for myself, you know!" She shouted, louder than she ever had. Even Vincent peered over at the fist fighter, every one else having wisely silenced themselves, for fear of meeting the same fate as the table.

"It's no one's choice but my own whether I stay or fight." Tifa paused, and pointed an accusing finger at Cloud, "And it's ESPECIALLY not yours. What happened to me will never... EVER happen again! And if I want to fight, I will fight. I will make the people responsible for what happened pay for it." She paused again, to take a breath and calm herself a bit, "But not just for me... for all those innocent people who were killed. And for the innocents who still live... and for the future of the Planet as well."

Vincent stood up, gazing at Tifa in a way the woman had never seen before. His gaze was not much different from before, but to Tifa it looked like...hope? "The future starts now. Whatever choice you decide, make sure its the right one." He said, then left, again heading into the back room.

"I guess that's still how he gives hopeful sagely advice as always, huh?" Yuffie groaned.

Reeve cleared his throat, "Maybe its too late to discuss such things... the war meeting won't be until a few more days while Tseng and I organize transport for the other men, women, and children who consent to leaving the city for now."

Tifa turned to him, "Transport?"

"Yes. Rufus has made it publicly known exactly what is going on. And while he isn't forcing anyone to leave, safe haven will be provided in the west for the people who choose to."

Cloud nodded, as if to confirm that Rufus was indeed, not the same person he used to be. That maybe he did, after all, care what had happened to the children, and to Tifa. And now, he was worried about the entirety of Edge, and the planet. Or, perhaps he just had his priorities way out of order.

"And how many are staying?" Tifa asked.

But Reeve only shook his head. "Everything will be explained at the meeting, and I'll call you when I know when it will be. And I'm sorry, Tifa. I didn't mean to seem like I was going to make you stay here."

"It's fine, Reeve. Maybe I'll see you at that meeting."

"Maybe. For now, I have to get back, though. No rest for the weary after all. More paperwork to do!"

Cloud stood up, and firmly shook Reeve's hand before showing him to the door. He suddenly remembered wanting to question Yuffie about the 'job' she was to do, but decided he was too tired to care right then. All would be explained at the war meeting. "Thank you, Reeve. You've told us a lot more in the past week than Rufus ever has."

Reeve inwardly winced, but merely nodded and shut the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Less than a half-hour later, every one had isolated themselves to wherever they were going to sleep. Yuffie was given the children's bedroom, but only if she helped Cloud to move his old bed into that room for now. Yuffie constantly teased both Cloud and Tifa for finally 'hooking up,' and sharing the same bed. She even made a comment along the lines of, "This better not be the bed you two did something freaky on!" Causing both Tifa and Cloud's faces to turn red. Cloud considered making her sleep downstairs on the couch. Vincent was nowhere to be found, but Yuffie assumed he found a closet to sleep in.<p>

Now, Tifa had laid down on their bed, but Cloud remained sitting up. "I just don't know what's going to happen, or what I'm supposed to do," He had said.

"None of us do, Cloud. But you gotta remember, you can't fix everything by yourself. Whatever happens, we'll all deal with it together." Tifa responded.

"I know, Tifa."

"Then why are you so worried?"

Cloud didn't say anything at first, just continued to stare out their bedroom window. A crescent moon was slowly rising, peaking over the buildings of the city outside.

"Bad habits maybe?" Here he turned and stared at the woman, "Aren't you worried?"

Here, Tifa gave a slow, soft smile, leaning up to wrap her arms around him. Her face found a comfortable spot at the crook of his neck, her breathing giving him goosebumps. "Of course I am, Cloud. But worrying never solves anything." Here she paused, and gently turned his head so that she could look into his eyes, "My papa told me something I'll never forget, once. 'The only way evil will be triumphant is when good men and women choose do nothing.' Worrying is doing nothing, and only makes it worse, you know?"

Cloud slowly started to feel a bit better, his tense muscles finally relaxing. He nodded, "Yeah... you're right I guess."

Tifa giggled, "Of course I'm right. I'm a female, remember?"

Cloud smirked, turning and placing an arm behind her, and slowly laying down. "If that helps you sleep at night, Lockhart."

"Oh, it does, Strife." She replied, curling up against his body, and just grazing his lips with her own. Afterward, she laid her head on his chest, the sound of his heartbeat like a lullaby to her. As he slowly began to play with her hair, she sighed happily, quickly slipping into a content sleep.

Cloud lay there for a while, unable to sleep right then. But when he finally found sleep, he would regret it. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

_And when he opened them again, he wasn't staring up at the roof of his bedroom. But rather, it was blue sky, with white puffy clouds lazily floating by. He shot up into a sitting position, and not surprising, there were yellow and white flowers clear into the horizon. He noticed that he was no longer in his sleeping clothes either, but in his usual attire._

"_Great," he said aloud, and slowly stood up, looking around. "Right, where the hell are you, Sephiroth!?"_

_Silence._

_He spotted a dark figure out in the distance, but could just make out the Buster Sword. Zack? He turned around again, and could see Aerith, standing also far away. He turned a final time, and Sephiroth was standing directly in front of him, who in turn quickly backhanded Cloud across the face and sent him tumbling backwards._

"_So now you're going to fight? Hah, I'm surprised. Equally surprised you didn't put your wench on that boat with the children."_

_On instinct, Cloud reached behind him for a weapon, and was surprised when he grasped the hilt of the largest Fusion Sword. He quickly yanked the weapon free and held it outward._

_Sephiroth scoffed, and the Masamune materialized in his left hand. "Hmph. What good do you think it is, fighting in your dreams?" And not a moment later thrust the curved weapon out._

_Cloud ducked, swinging his own sword upward to knock the Masamune away from him, then charged his enemy. When Cloud swung, Sephiroth merely brought his weapon up to deflect the blows. The rapid clanging soon filled the air, as they danced around each other, thrusting and swinging their weapons around to try and connect one blow. Then they came together, each of them pressing their weapons towards the other with all their strength and weight, to try and gain the upper hand._

"_Tell me, Cloud, did you enjoy killing those men? I felt your anger, and hatred... your regret of leaving the one alive."_

"_You don't know a damned thing! You never did... all you know to do is play mind games!" Cloud shot back._

_Sephiroth leaned in closer, "Is that right?" Then pushed himself off of Cloud's blade. This caught Cloud off guard and he stumbled forward, but quickly regained himself._

"_In that case, you should be used to this by now."_

_The hairs on the back of Cloud's neck stood up, and he suddenly whipped around, raising his sword in a block. Instantly, another blade clanged against his, and it didn't take long for Cloud to realize who it was. Zack was staring at him now, his eyes and face devoid of emotion. He just continued to swing the Buster Sword with expert precision, and each time Cloud stepped away and deflected another blow. "Zack, stop! It's me, Cloud!"_

_But it was no use. Zack never so much as winced when Cloud was forced to go on the offensive, and managed to land his fist on the dark-haired male's cheek. However, a moment later, Zack's form suddenly dissolved in a black mist, and disappeared beneath the flowers. Cloud looked around expecting another attack._

_When he turned again, it was too late. He saw the flash of silver, heard the sound of wings flapping, and the Masamune sliced across his stomach, cutting the fabric of his shirt and leaving a long wound over his midsection. The fresh wound instantly gushed blood._

"_Still not as skilled as you think you are. Just admit it, Cloud... you know that as long my mother's cell's still linger in your body, you will never be rid of me."_

_Cloud had since dropped his sword, and tightly clutched his wound, his sight beginning to get hazy and distorted. All he could make out of his enemy was the long blade, and the black angel wing._

_Sephiroth laughed, "Soon you will join me in the Lifestream... and we shall do this for all eternity until the ending of time itself."_

Cloud sharply gasped, taking in a sudden surge of air which awoke him from his sleep. Next to him, Tifa had since rolled over to face the opposite direction, but was sound asleep. As usual, his body was coated in sweat, and his muscles ached. He sat up slowly, so that he didn't wake up Tifa, and put his feet on the cold floor. "Damn... they're getting worse," He whispered to himself.

On instinct, he began to check himself for injuries. When he looked down, the breath shot straight from his body, and his eyes no doubt grew to the size of diner plates. There, across his stomach, was a long and ropey scar, exactly where his enemy's blade had cut him.


	11. A Gathering Storm

**Author's Note: **Don't worry every one, I'm not dead...yet. Yet again it has been far too long since I last updated, and once again I apologize to all. What with getting back into school, plus the fact I recently picked up Chrono Trigger has taken most of my time. But as such, I had an interesting thought not long ago: what would you, the readers, think of a potential AU crossover of Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy VII? Maybe a potential sequel to this own story, should it ever end? Not likely to happen, just a playful thought I had not long ago while kicking around ideas on paper.

Also perhaps I have been subconsciously, not intending to do so, held off for a bit to build suspense?

Regardless, wise man once said that in the artistic world, you can't rush perfection. (see: George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series.)

As always, let me know what you think, though there might not be much for this chapter after such a long wait. This is my "building up to the crescendo" chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 11-<strong>

**A Gathering Storm**

_One push is all you'll need, a fist-first philosophy. We watch with wounded eyes, so I hope you recognize_

_I'm on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine; the story is just beginning_

_I say goodbye to my weakness, so long to the regret, and now I know that I'm alive_

* * *

><p>"Hey... Tormuj, is it? What the hell is a foreigner like you doing in these parts?"<p>

The bronze-skinned man turned to regard Reij with a questioning look, "This one has come here by the same means as all others of his grace's army... by iron ships."

Reij sneered, biting into a red apple, promptly spitting out the skin onto the cobble floor of the fort, "No shit! But why would you wanna fight for that prick?"

Tormuj gave a small smile, "Why indeed? This one wonders the same of you. Clearly, you care only for the money and not the survival of this planet."

The other man scoffed, throwing the half-eaten fruit over the balcony to the ground below, "That and all the killing. Take's a certain craft, you know? I imagine the only thing you've ever killed are brainless canyon monsters."

"Caution, Reij. After all, a scratch from a poisoned blade can kill as easily as a gun... though not as quickly, and with far more pain."

"What are ya' threatening me now you dark-skinned son of a-"

He was cut off, as the old wooden door was suddenly flung open, and two figures entered. The silver-haired man quickly threw off his hood and dabbed his brow with a cloth. Behind him, Edward followed closely, weapon at the ready.

Tormuj instantly bowed, "Welcome back, your grace. How fared the recruitment?" His answer, however, was quickly answered, as the sounds of gunfire broke the silence. Unlike before, however, it went on for several long minutes.

"Most of 'em, were survivors of the fort... though there weren't many of those. The rest of 'em brought news from across the sea. Seems someone has been telling tales of our conquests," Edward said.

The leader quickly planted himself into a chair, only to pour a red liquid from a pot into a wooden cup before him, "Someone from the WRO no doubt. Doesn't surprise me at all, really." He said, and took a long drink from the cup, then made a satisfied sound. "The... former inhabitants of this fort may have been primate neanderthals... but damned if they don't make good wine! Maybe we should have spared some of them."

"Won't such actions effect the war effort, your grace?" Tormuj asked, referring to news having already traveled across the sea. To him, such actions might dissuade people from joining the army.

Reij interrupted, "Hah! Not by much. Most of the westerners are milk-drinking sissy-boys."

Edward continued, "If by some chance our enemy's ranks are bolstered, it will be with untrained men who no doubt have never fired a gun or held a blade before."

The silver-haired man sighed in annoyance. "That doesn't matter now, you half-wits. What matters is more batches of recruits and the fight at hand. Edward, what have you learned?"

Edward threw out a map of the local continent, and began to scribble notes and marks with a black marker, "Our informant says that a war meeting is being called later today... specifics haven't been confirmed yet."

"And what of firepower? What resistance can we expect?"

"What the shit does it matter?" Reij interrupted again, with a laugh, "The Geo-Leviathan could likely wipe out half their standing forces with a single shot!"

At this, the leader turned his steely gaze toward the light-haired man, "And how many shells do you possess for that weapon, peasant?"

Reij opened his mouth to speak, but paused a moment to honestly consider, "...three."

Edward stepped forward, menacingly, "Three, _what_?" But the leader dismissed him with a wave.

Reij chuckled, then clicked his tongue, "Three, _sir_," He said in the most sarcastic way imaginable.

"And how much does it cost for us to produce even ONE shell for this stolen weapon of yours, assuming our army already possesses the necessary materials?" The leader continued.

There was a pause, and the demolitions expert finally spoke after weighing the odds, "Well over five-thousand gil per shell."

The leader banged his fists on the table, causing all but Reij to shrink back, "Exactly, you damned idiot! Unless you intend to pull money out of your ass then using that weapon so soon is a calamity we can't afford! You will keep it on standby and we will use it ONLY at the utmost importance. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, boss-man."

"Then you are dismissed. And for the record, you and Tormuj here will be leading the charge when our enemies come to us."

Tormuj bowed again, "This one is honored," Then exited, Reij following behind and slamming the wooden door hard behind him.

Edward cleared his throat, the sounds of gunfire had only just began to cease. "What then are we planning to do about our enemies, sir?"

There was a long winded paused, as the silver-haired one began to pour over the map that was set out before him. "We can't know until our informant gives us information."

"But how do we know they will even give it to us?"

At this, the leader locked eyes with the other man, and his gaze caused the former ShinRa captain to shiver in fear, even take a single step back. "For your sake, they had better. You vouched for this person, and assured me they was loyal to the cause. If they are not... and there are any unexpected surprises... you need not worry about Cloud or the others. I will rip your throat out myself."

Edward began to sweat, but quickly regained his composure. "Y-Yes sir! I have only the utmost faith in them."

The leader then fell back into the chair, taking another swig from the wooden cup in his hand, his eyes dancing around the map set out before him. "Tell me something, Edward."

"Sir?"

"Do you truly think it was worth going through all of this effort to claim this ruined fortress?" And looked up at his general with a questioning look.

The other man didn't say anything right away, thinking that perhaps it was a trick question, or a test of his loyalty. "Absolutely, sir. It's a perfect staging ground against Rufus and his lackeys. And since we burned the ladder bridge, there's only two ways to access this fort: the sky, or the main pathway."

The silver-haired man scratched his chin, pondering. He then stood up, and made for the door, "Let's walk, Mr. Cross."

Edward followed behind his master without a word.

* * *

><p>"You're ex-ShinRa, Edward. Tell me, what sort of resistance might we expect?" The leader spoke, as the two walked along the battlements of the fort. Around them, militia soldiers were putting out fires, unloading crates full of weapons, and collecting the dead. The dead were shown no respect, be they civilian or soldier on either side; all were simply tossed into carts and then taken off to be burned.<p>

"I don't know about resistance, sir. After all, our insider has yet to provide us with a weapons report for the enemy. Also, their technology could very well have improved or declined since I was among them... so I couldn't even rightfully guess."

They continued to walk, occasionally stopping to inquire with a soldier about one thing or another. "Then I suggest you get in touch with your little mole, and get me an update before day's end. What's the number one rule of war, Edward?"

Edward thought about it a second, "'Know thy enemy,'" they both said in unison.

"Exactly!" The leader said, throwing his hands into the air for emphasis, "Keep your own secrets and find out all of theirs!" He paused, and stopped a passing soldier, "You, what is your name?"

The soldier was actually a young boy, whom couldn't have been any older than sixteen, "S-Shane, sir!" And did his best army salute.

Both men chuckled, then the leader went on, "Find your lieutenant, Reij. Tell him I said to prepare all anti-aircraft weaponry we have, and also to keep his 'baby' on stand-by. Do it in ten minutes and you'll get a promotion. Quickly now."

The boy, Shane, grinning from ear to ear and saluted again, "Yes sir!" And dashed away fast as he could.

Edward stepped forward, "Are you really going to give that kid a promotion, sir?"

The other man turned to regard the man with a look, "Just another pawn on the chessboard. Tell me about our friends across the sea. Where does Wutai stand on all of this?"

"Nothing from Wutai or any of its surrounding kingdoms, sir. It would seem they are completely indifferent to either side."

The leader spat, "Bah. Godo always seemed like a cowardly man to me. And the other men? How fares Junction Town?"

Edward quickly side-stepped, as a rather freakishly large man lumbered past, carrying three large crates loaded with weapons and ammo, "Reij's little lackey reports the Junction is well enough. No new WRO spies have been caught in the past week. Also, we still have men coming in off the sea. Some new recruits, others who have already agreed to the cause and are armed and ready."

There was a dark chuckle from under the hood, "Very good. If not with firepower, perhaps sheer numbers will whittle down our enemies. Wasn't that the traditional method of the old ShinRa army? Barrels of cannon fodder?"

Edward did not say a word, only shifted his gun to a readier grip as they come to the bottom of the mountain. Here, more men ran back and fourth, and the sound of machinery quickly filled the air. Heavy trucks were unloading steel pipes into three separate piles, whilst another team of men, using cranes, picked individual pipes up and used strange tools to sharpen the ends to points.

"As I said earlier, sir, aside from a pair of wings this is the only other entryway to the fort. It's a perfect choke point for their ground forces." Edward said with a cocksure certainty.

"Only if they are dumb enough to take the bait. Rufus is many things, but a simpleton he is not." The leader replied, then they both turned and continued up the path.

After a few more minutes of walking, another voice rang out, "Your grace!" Both men turned to see Tormuj, sitting on a barrel of apples with a wicked looking dagger in his hand. The other hand held a whetstone, which he continuously raked down the jagged edge of the blade.

"Tormuj. And how do you plan to hold back our enemies? Don't you think you should have a gun?" The leader inquired.

The dark-skinned man smiled a modest smile. The weapon in his hand was too large to be considered a knife, but wasn't large enough to be a short sword. The blade gleamed with a burning silver, and the hilt, pommel, and hand guard were solid black. The hand-guard was also modified and turned into makeshift spiked knuckles. Next to the man, a twin weapon of the same likeness hung at his belt.

"This one has faced worse odds and won, your grace. This one does not believe in guns."

Edward stifled a laugh, "How does someone not believe in guns?"

"Simple, sir Edward. Men have been killing each other long before the concept of guns was ever conceived. And there are many cultures who believe them to be cowardly weapons. This one is part of one of those cultures,"

"And also," Tormuj continued, "was it not our own leader who said it was because of guns the planet faces such a crisis? The usurpers strip-mine the mountains for their guns and blood showers the fields. No, sir Edward. This one is a man of the old ways."

Again the silver-haired man chuckled, "He has a point, Edward. He may well even be smarter than you." Then continued along his way.

Edward shot the foreigner a deathly glare, wanting nothing more than to put his fist through the man's teeth. Tormuj never once stopped sharpening his blade, and only smugly smiled at Edward, even as he walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>The next morning, Cloud was still shaken from his last encounter. He even went so far as to dunk his head under cold water and check his stomach again. He scrubbed at the scar furiously with a rag to see if maybe it was some sort of sick prank; though who would think to do such a thing was beyond him. All the latter action managed to do was open up the scar and cause blood to splotch down the wound. He considered not leaving the bar that day, until he could figure this mystery out.<p>

Tifa had certainly noticed this odd behavior, and when she tried to question him, was met with the usual responses.

"It's nothing, Tifa,"

"I'm fine, really,"

"Just didn't sleep so well last night,"

"Honestly, don't worry about me,"

She simply had to trust that, if something was truly wrong, he would have told her.

When Cloud finally came down the stairs, Tifa was sitting at a stool at the bar, flipping through a newspaper. She looked up and smiled at him, but Cloud did little more than nod in acknowledgment. He wasn't sure how to tell her... or if he even should. He took a seat at the stool next to her, kissing her forehead before sitting down.

"What's the news? Anything?" He asked.

The female flipped a few pages back and pushed the paper towards Cloud. The black and white photograph painted the scene very well: a large structure half engulfed in flames, the silhouettes of armored trucks surrounding it. The headline read: "**ATTACK ON LOCAL FORT CONDOR - rebel group on the rise! - ARE WE NEXT?**"

Cloud scoffed and pushed the paper away, "Of course we're next. Why do they even bother publishing this kind of stuff?"

"Because people have a right to know what's going on, Cloud." Tifa simply replied.

"I thought Rufus already made it publicly known what was happening?"

"Well... maybe this is just a sort of reassurance. Everyone reads the newspaper after all. Look," and pointed with her finger to a section. It read:

"Rufus Shinra also gave this formal statement this past week: 'Rest assured that the WRO and myself are doing everything in our power to handle this threat. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this atrocious attack, as well their families they left behind. I promise you this: justice will be served!'"

Cloud then stood up again and headed behind the bar; a pot of coffee sounded good right then. "Everything in their power, huh? I guess you and the others will find out for sure at that meeting today."

At that, Tifa instantly looked up, "Aren't you going, Cloud?"

The blonde took a swig of coffee, then made a face. It tasted horrible, but he felt energy returning to him, "He may be turning over a new leaf now, but Rufus still lied to me, to us." He paused for a moment, then turned to face the brunette. "I remember something a wise man once told me too. 'One good deed doesn't redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness.' How do we know that we can-"

Tifa shot up from her seat, "Cloud, what in the hell is wrong with you? You aren't yourself."

"What are you talking-"

"You think I haven't noticed, but you're again slipping back inside yourself. Just last night you looked so sure you were going to change your mind. Then overnight you clam right back up! Damn it, I won't let that happen so long as I'm still breathing!"

Cloud instantly put his back to her, and lowered his head. What the hell did she know, anyway? She didn't understand... couldn't understand. What it was like having your arch nemesis prowl your dreams like a primordial bogeyman. The nightmares were one thing... now he somehow was able to physically harm him. Could the Lifestream have something to do with this? JENOVA's cells? The silver haired man even?

"Cloud, turn around and look at me,"

For a moment his heart stopped, and he could have sworn it was Aerith's voice. His entire body went rigid, and he was almost certain he heard the nemesis' chuckle inside his mind.

"No... not this time." He muttered.

"Cloud!"

The blonde gnashed his teeth together. He knew once he turned around he would see Sephiroth again, and then who knows what would happen next.

"Oi, what's all this racket down here! It's too early to be so loud!"

Yuffie's voice snapped Cloud from his stupor, and he quickly turned around to see the ninja coming down the stairs. Tifa was staring at him with a half-hurt look in her eyes. He also quickly noted he had broken out in a cold sweat.

"I..."

But he never had another chance to speak. Tifa abruptly stood up, and stormed up the stairs, not even acknowledging Yuffie as she passed.

Yuffie turned to look up the stairs, then back to Cloud, "What the hell did you do this time, Cloud!?"

Cloud simply scoffed and, slamming down the coffee mug, retreated into the back.

* * *

><p>As Tifa rounded the corner to go into their bedroom, she found the door blocked by Vincent, who regarded her with his trademark stare.<p>

"Excuse me, Vincent."

The crimson figure did not move.

"Vincent, I need to get in-"

"Something evil stirs in his mind, Tifa." He cut her off.

The words caught her off guard, "Wha...what? What are you ta-"

Vincent shook his head, leaning back against the doorway. "Cloud. There is something... clouding his mind. Only you can help him overcome it."

Tifa felt her fists balling up at her sides. "You don't think I've tried? That I keep trying? He keeps pushing me away!" She stepped forward to try and shoulder past the man, but he surprised her by grasping her shoulder and forcing her backward.

"And how many times has this happened to him? To the both of you?" He paused, narrowing his crimson eyes, "This is different, Tifa. This is not just stress of the Brotherhood attacks... or what happened to you. These things make it worse, but... hmm."

"...yes?"

There was another long silence. "I cannot say, you must ask Cloud yourself. I fear this time it will take more than the mere support of his friends to help him defeat this inner evil. Love, perhaps, is the key."

The entire time Tifa had felt her frustration rise, to the point she couldn't take it anymore, "And what do you know about love, Vincent!?" She lashed out. Vincent did little more than blink, but he did look down and hide his face within his upraised collar.

"..."

The woman gasped, and instantly felt terrible. "I'm sorry, Vincent. I just can't deal with all this stress."

Vincent looked back up, "Then perhaps you should get on one of those boats and leave this place. Hmf. I thought you were stronger than that Tifa."

Again the anger rose in the woman, but she took the comment as lashing back for her own comment about his lackluster knowledge of love. "Wait... you said 'inner evil.' You can't be talking about... _Sephiroth _are you?"

But the woman never got her answer. Vincent finally removed himself from in front of the door, and proceeded down the stairs without another word.

* * *

><p>After an hour of staying locked in her and Cloud's bedroom, Tifa finally came back downstairs, where she saw Yuffie standing outside, chattering away to someone on her PHS. Vincent was in the corner behind the bar, studying a row of liquor bottles. For some reason, she found that amusing, and softly giggled. At the noise, Vincent turned, and nodded towards the kitchen door, "He's back there," was all he said before turning back to the bottles.<p>

She found Cloud sitting in a chair, bent forward and his face buried in his hands. He heard approaching footsteps and quickly looked up; his eyes were slightly puffy around the edges, and his hair was disheveled and out of place.

Without a word or waiting for acknowledgment, she sat next to him, folding her hands in her lap, "You know I'm here for you, right?" She said. He nodded.

"And you know all of our friends are here for you too, right?" Again, he nodded.

"Look at me, Cloud," and she gently grasped his cheek, turning his face toward hers, so she could stare into those mako-colored eyes she adored so much, "I know something is wrong. Even Vincent made the comment that he also knows. If you don't want to tell me right now, it's fine. But just remember you can't keep things bottled up forever... I figured you'd have learned that lesson a long time ago." She forced a giggle, hoping to maybe lighten the situation.

"Vincent? How could he know something is wrong?" Cloud asked,

Tifa softly smiled, as if to confirm that Vincent was right, "I don't know, unless you've told him something you haven't told me." She suddenly felt like a mother nursing a child. But perhaps that is what she adored the most about their relationship. "Let's just get through this one day at a time, okay?"

For a moment, Cloud allowed himself to go off into his own other world. In the past he had taken her, and all of their friends' friendship for granted. Even lately perhaps he had been doing the same. In truth, he had never thought things would have gotten this far... that maybe this militia, this 'Brotherhood of the Planet' would eventually be crushed under the WRO. But now the threat was very real. They were headed for his family and his city and were not likely to stop until they rolled over every city, village, and town for a thousand miles. Instantly, something clicked inside his mind, and he slowly stood up, grabbing Tifa's hands and pulling her up slowly with him. He bore deep into her ruby irises, which took her breath away for a moment.

All obstacles had always been confronted, and defeated, in the past. The scar across his stomach? A cat scratch compared to the wounds he had suffered in the past, especially from the corporal Sephiroth. And then there was the silver-haired man and his militia. He had threatened him, threatened his lover, his family, friends, home. And they still had to pay. Instantly he remembered what he had said to Denzel the day he left with Barret:

"_I can't protect these guys if I'm worried about you and Marlene. - Protect Marlene, and I'll protect Tifa. We'll protect this family... together."_

And he wasn't going to break that promise by cowering in his room, like a scared child. He would make good on that promise.

He would fight.

"I don't want to tell you about it just yet... there's a lot more important things to worry about now, Tifa," Cloud finally said, stroking her cheek with a gentle touch, "But once this is all over, I will tell you everything. I promise. I'm going with you, and if I can do anything to stop those crazy bastards, I will."

Tifa's heart skipped another beat, and instantly was grinning from ear to ear. She jumped into his arms and kissed him harder than she ever had thus far.

"Awwww look at 'em being all smoochy woochy now!" Yuffie's voice quickly killed the moment. Tifa shyed away from Cloud and glared at the doorway, Yuffie with the biggest grin on her face ever. Vincent was also standing there, and even he seemed to be smiling ever so slightly.

Cloud's face started to turn as red as Vincent's cloak, when the gunman held up the bar's phone. "Reeve just called. It's time."

Tifa and the other two then looked hopefully at Cloud, who in turn shouldered past the two at the door. For a moment they thought that he was going to simply walk up the stairs, leaving them to the task despite what he had just said to Tifa. Here was their friend who in the past had lead them through trials and tribulations, all while battling his own inner demons and his past.

He surprised them all when, instead of heading for the stairs, he grabbed the largest Fusion Sword from a nearby rack, and yanked the Fenrir's keys off a hook. Turning to the other three, he grinned, rather enthusiastically.

"Let's go, gang!"

Yuffie cheered with obnoxious optimism.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>The entire group shared the exact same thought right then: the inside of this elevator, and truly the entire building, was becoming far too familiar far too quick. A few months ago, the ShinRa and WRO execs (with the exception of Reeve) kept to themselves and wouldn't give Cloud or his group the time of day.<p>

They stepped out once they reached the topmost level, and were again greeted by the red-haired Lysa. This time however, she bounded forward with an enthused grin on her face, hand outstretched.

"Glad you decided to come, Mr. Strife. Rufus will definitely share my enthusiasm!"

When he shook her hand, however, she seemed to be squeezing tighter than usual. Cloud also could have sworn he felt her tugging—for just a split second—on his index finger. He raised a brow, but said nothing. After she cleared them to enter the back, she sprinted away.

The group entered through the double doors, and were surprised when the office was empty. There was, however, an office chair with a high back turned away from them. On their approach, the chair suddenly whirled around—causing everyone to slink back and instinctively reach for their weapons—to reveal bright orange-red hair.

"Cloud! Glad you made it buddy!" Then walked over and slapped him on the shoulder with a smirk.

"What's the big idea, Reno! You scared the crap out of us!" Yuffie squeaked.

"Out of you, you mean," Tifa giggled.

"Everyone seems glad I'm here. Well, here I am," Cloud said, "but where's Rufus?"

Reno pointed with his thumb over his shoulder to a second set of doors, "Boss-man and the others are back here. Go through the doors and take the elevator to your right. Hit the button marked with a star and enter the password and bam! Down to paradise!"

"And what's the password?" Cloud raised an eyebrow.

Reno grinned again, "S-H-I-N-R-A-1!"

Vincent scoffed, "Not very clever,"

"What about you, Reno?" Tifa asked.

"Hey, don't worry about me, chick! I'm just security detail!"

Without another word, they shuffled past the redhead and through the doors. Before the doors closed, they all heard Reno call one last time, "Walk straight down the hallway, and whatever you do, don't touch anything!"

* * *

><p>The elevator dinged again and the others followed Cloud out into a dimly lit hallway. The hall was lined with different doors, cubicles, and computer monitors. Everywhere, men and women in WRO lab coats were running back and fourth, while armed soldiers stood watch, occasionally a group of two or more escorting a particular person with a black briefcase or another like parcel. The computer monitors flashed and beeped as varying information was downloaded and sent off to the appropriate recipient.<p>

As soon as they exited the elevator, a group of soldier descended upon them, "Who are you guys? I've never seen any of you before, who gave you clearance to come down here?" One of them spoke. The soldiers kept their guns lowered, but held them close, tense. Around them, the civilians looked on with nervous expressions, awaiting an inevitable firefight.

Before Cloud could speak, a gruff voice rang out, and caused the soldiers to part and stand at attention, "Enough! The president and CEO are expecting them."

Rude came from around a corner and stopped a few steps in front of the group.

"Aye, sir!" The same soldier saluted, then turned to Cloud and the others, "Apologies, Mr. Strife. Can't be too careful in these times." Then filed away with the others.

"Rude, what in the hell is this place?" Cloud finally said, once the soldiers were gone.

The other man folded his palms behind his back, "Counter-terrorism center and security bunker. Anything and everything we find out about the rebels comes from the men and women down here."

"Looks like Rufus has been using Edge's taxes wisely! Nevermind rebuilding the city, lets build a super top secret lab underneath it instead! Not shady at all!" Yuffie said a little too loudly. When Tifa nudged her in the ribs to silence her, she turned to the elder woman with a shocked expression, "What!? It's true!"

Rude only shook his head, stepped to the side, and gestured with a hand down the hall, "All the way to the back, you'll find a door. Hurry up, Rufus and Reeve are waiting."

* * *

><p>"I hope you're going to be truthful this time, Rufus."<p>

Rufus turned to Reeve and only stared blankly for a moment, "Have I not been truthful thus far?"

"I mean completely truthful, Rufus. Don't you think Cloud and the others have a right to know about what's happening at the Northern Glacier?"

Rufus scratched his chin, thinking, "I don't see what their knowing or not knowing would matter. But... perhaps you're right." In truth, he was willing to share... certain information regarding the subject, in order to finally get the other man off his back.

The spacious room had tables and more computer terminals scattered throughout, the tables laden with maps and atlases, as well stacks of notes containing various information. In the back, a large projection picture of the entire world took up the entire wall, and the picture showed obvious marks, such as a large red dot approximately where Fort Condor was located, a skull animation hovering next to it.

Behind Rufus, Tseng and Elena stood. The blonde clicked on her earpiece as it went off, then spoke, "Sir, they're here. You'll be pleased to know Cloud has joined them." Behind her, Reeve couldn't help but grin a little.

"Send them in."

The doors across the room parted to reveal Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie, and Vincent, whom swiftly walked in and towards the table where Rufus was seated. Both Reeve and Rufus shot Yuffie a questioning glance, she avoiding their gaze, but for the moment said nothing.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Cloud!" Rufus called across the room, beckoning them closer.

"If I had a thousand gil for every time I heard that since coming here today, I could probably bribe the militia into going home," Cloud said sourly, but nevertheless took a seat, two chairs from the right of Rufus. Tifa sat next to him, Yuffie sitting across from them on the opposite side, and Vincent simply standing at the table, directly across from Rufus. He eyed the two Turks with a look, then averted his gaze.

"Very well... where to begin?" Rufus spoke somberly.

Tifa spoke up first, "Reeve mentioned something about evacuation ships?"

Rufus nodded, "Yes. As I'm sure you all know, I've let all of Edge know exactly what is going on. No one is being forced to leave, but it is strongly encouraged. The ships docked last night, and many of Edge are already fleeing for safety."

"What about the outlying villages and towns, like Kalm?" Cloud said.

This time, Reeve spoke, "I sent messages out to all surrounding settlements, including the chocobo farm in the east. All are safe and accounted for, and are either in Edge or headed for the ships."

"The interesting thing, however," Rufus started, "is that many of the young men and, well, most of the of-age men period, have volunteered to join the WRO."

Again Reeve spoke, "Our numbers have swelled well over sixty percent. The main reason many of them gave was they wanted to protect their families, or avenge those they've lost. It seems many people are rallying to our aid!"

"Imminent death from a foreign power will do that to morale," Vincent said grimly.

"Speaking of foreign power..." Finally, Rufus turned to regard Yuffie, who had not said a word and was doing her best to avoid everyone's gaze, "Why are you here? I know Reeve gave you a job to do."

Now, all eyes turned to the ninja, who shrank in her seat. Cloud stood up for a moment, "Yeah, Barret made the comment you had your own job to do. What have you been hiding, Yuffie?"

She said nothing, and only stared hard down at the floor. She wished she were anywhere but there right then.

Reeve finally broke the silence, first with a heavy sigh, then, "Yuffie was to travel to her homeland of Wutai, to try and persuade her father Godo and his warriors to the fight."

The ninja then surprised every one by leaping to her feet, and yelling a little louder than she should have, "You don't get it! None of you do! Cloud, Tifa! Don't you remember how pigheaded my father is!?" She paused, to let the words hang in the air for a moment, then went on, "Well if not, I do! He won't listen to reason. I can hear his voice now: 'The fight is far away and does not concern us. The militia only want ShinRa's blood, not ours! I will not shed what's left of our people's blood for a fight that is not ours!' Stupid old man!"

"And besides!" She continued to rant, "I want to stay here and help my friends! I couldn't live with myself, knowing I'm wasting my time talking to a stone-eared old man while my friends are here and people are dying!" She stomped her foot for emphasis, looking like a twelve year old throwing a tantrum. "I won't!"

Tifa finally had to stand up and coax the girl into sitting down, whispering gentle reassurances to her. Off to the side, Vincent could only shake his head, and sigh softly.

"A conversation for another time. Now on to more important matters." Rufus finally broke the uncomfortable silence. "Tseng, Elena. You have already been briefed. Clear the room, if you please." Then clapped his hands twice.

After the two Turks had ushered out the scientists and other soldiers, all that remained was Cloud's group, Rufus, and Reeve.

Now, Reeve took a seat between Rufus and Cloud, and picked up a small remote control, nodding towards the projection on the back wall for emphasis, "So, after speculating and many... many late night debates, here's the battle strategy we've established."

After clicking a few buttons, a large yellow rectangle appeared around the coordinates of Fort Condor. The projection then shifted and zoomed in to the rectangle, revealing a three-dimensional top-down view of the entire fort. "Mind you, this isn't real time... the money it would take to construct such a satellite we could use to build a second Edge," Reeve said, "however, based on intel and covert agents, we can speculate easily enough."

"We can expect heavy ground resistance," Rufus spoke as Reeve used the remote to emphasize certain areas, "here... here... and here. The main, and only, entrance to the fort there, will likely be the most heavily guarded."

"And air resistance?" Cloud asked,

Reeve shook his head, "No reports suggest they have any form of air support. At least... not yet."

"And what about us?" Tifa this time.

Rufus chuckled, "It isn't much, but there are still a few of the old ShinRa "battle-copters" left," He was referring of course, to standard military helicopters, utilized by ShinRa in the past. "Though Reeve advises we shouldn't sent all of them. Three, perhaps. Tseng is to pilot one, and Lysa will pilot another."

Cloud raised an eyebrow, "The redheaded intern? Is she even qualified?"

"More than you are, Strife," Rufus said, "She has proven to be far skillful beyond her years, and has proven most excellent at collecting intel for us. Mr. Valentine, I thought you might fit best in one of these copters."

Vincent huffed, "I will do as I please. Though I would be interested in riding with this...Lysa."

"What about reinforcements?" Yuffie finally said, after calming herself down.

Here, Reeve cleared his throat, "There won't be any... imminent reinforcements,"

Now Cloud was on edge, and even Tifa felt his muscles tensing up, "What do you mean?"

Reeve gave Rufus a look, who in turn waved the WRO founder to continue, though he did not seem satisfied about it.

"You see, Rufus... and I... have been funding a certain project in the north."

"Reeve, you've never danced around the subject before. Just spit it out, please," Tifa said, wrapping her arms around on of Cloud's.

Reeve nodded, then continued, "A secret war machine, up at the Northern Glacier. Rufus decided to begin it once the Brotherhood first appeared, just in case. As it turns out, it was a wise investment, and..." But he was caught off by Cloud,

"More lies, Rufus. Just when I think I can trust you, you spit back in our faces. It's no wonder the people in this city detest you. You make promises to rebuild the city and avenge the loss of Fort Condor. Instead? You build secret labs and weapons of war out of sight!"

Here, Rufus' frustration rose to a boil, and he shot up from his chair, causing it to speed backwards and clatter loudly against the wall, "You know nothing, Strife. I never lied to you, I simply didn't tell all of the facts. If Reeve had not badgered me to tell you of the secret in the north, you'd have never known and nothing would have changed. In fact, this still changes nothing, save your foolish pride clouding your judgment."

Cloud started to stand up, but Tifa's tightening grip kept him in his seat. Rufus retrieved his chair and sat back down, drumming his fingertips on the arm rest, "In truth? The only reason I did not say anything of it, is because I thought it would be entertaining to see the look of surprise on your faces. So that in that moment I could prove I have always had all of our best interests, the populace's and the planet's, at heart."

Cloud continued to seethe, but kept his anger in check, "Then why bother attacking now? Why not wait?"

"Simple," Reeve answered instead, "we have to show them that we're not going to simply roll over and die. If we don't attack now, that tells the Brotherhood that we're weak, and will condone the slaughtering of innocent people. No, we need to show our force now, to get a message across."

"When do we fight?" Vincent asked, whipping his red cloak aside.

Rufus and Reeve looked at each other, before Rufus finally spoke. "Soon. Very soon. Reeve's men are already arming themselves and our volunteers."

"There's much more information to go over, both battle tactics and some more info on our rebel leaders." Reeve added, "We'll need to coordinate it all very carefully."

At that moment, the door buzzed, and in walked the four Turks, Reno still grinning, "Hope you had your Wheaties, boys and girls! Cuz it's gonna be a looooong night!"


	12. Hour Zero

**-Chapter 12-**

**Hour Zero**

_I can't believe the news today, I can't close my eyes and make it go away. How long must we sing this song, cause tonight we can be as one_

_Broken bottles under children's feet, bodies strewn across the dead-end street, but I won't heed the battle call, it puts my back up, puts my back up against the wall_

_Sunday, bloody Sunday... Sunday, bloody Sunday_

* * *

><p>A large group of people had gathered around the town square, as a large dark-skinned man was standing on the central fountain, bellowing a speech that quickly drew the crowd.<p>

"How can the rest of ya sit here on yer' asses while some egomaniac is just across the sea!?" Barret had yelled, pointing his metal arm towards the ocean, "This ain't just some freak either, you've all heard the stories! He's got an army behind him and he's coming for all of us!"

"Lies!" A shirtless man called from amongst the crowd; a few others backed away from him to give him leeway, "All he seems to want is Rufus Shinra's head on his wall! And I say let 'im have it!"

A few others amongst the crowd murmured their agreements.

Barret eyeballed the man, and stared at him hard, until he shuffled away and vanished amongst the crowd. Barret then turned and walked a half-circle around the fountain, "Must be nice to live in a delusional fantasy world where you think you're safe! Do you all really think this foo' is gonna stop with Edge? He'll come here next! And once the WRO is destroyed, who's gonna protect you then!?"

Another man stepped forward, "What do you expect any of us to do, huh!? We're not soldiers, we came here for a vacation, instead we got some crazy nut bellowing war propaganda! Why here?"

"Just what I said, foo'! Once that psycho is done with the WRO he'll come here next!"

"And how do we know this ain't a damn trap? For all we know you could be working with that guy!" A woman shouted.

Barret smirked, "Don't take my word for it, then. Take HIS!"

At that moment, Cait Sith appeared from amidst the crowd, quickly running and leaping onto Barret's shoulders, "Ahoy, lads and lasses! I represent Reeve Tuesti, founder of the WRO! An' I assure ye', this threat is very real!"

"Hah! Look, the wacko brought his favorite toy!"

Barret found the cause of the voice, and menacingly jumped down, most of the onlookers shirking back in fear. But he was stopped, when Cait tapped him on the ear, "Oi, lad..leave this one ta' me!"

The toy then hopped off the man's shoulders and waddled through the crowd, which in turn parted as the toy passed. When it came upon the man, it stared up at him with a mock smile on its face. "Tell me, laddie... do you think a toy could do... this?"

It's tiny fist suddenly crackled with a small current of electricity, and it touched the man's leg, sending the shock through his leg, causing him to yelp and fall backwards, grasping the contact spot. All others quickly turned back to Barret, whom thrust his opened palms into the air, as if to say 'I had nothing to do with that!'

"Tha' point is, folks..." Cait continued, as it returned to the fountain, back onto Barret's shoulder, and produced one of its trademark megaphones, "...is that this is no laughing matter! When a psychotic man of power gains more power, he wants more!" It paused, flailing its tiny arms to get more attention on it, "We came here ta' beg for any assistance we can get! Not pressgang anyone inta' military life!"

"Yeah, sure! Then how do ya' explain him?" Someone said, emphasizing the electrocuted man,

"Had to prove a point, ya nimrod!" Barret yelled, only to be silenced by Cait.

"I understand this is not what ye' folks wanna hear when ye're on vacation, but ya gotta understand that this paradise won't be paradise for long!"

Barret continued, "They assaulted my best friend and my daughter! Would'a roughed 'em both up good if our other friend hadn't gotten there to save 'em!"

"What do ya' think he'll do to you all? Your wives, husbands, girlfriends, boyfriends, children!?" Cait continued, "The Brotherhood has no remorse fer' harming innocents! Jus' look at the Fort Condor slaughter!"

There was a silence amongst the gathered mob, many of them giving each other looks and whispering to one another. The silence went on for several long minutes, until finally, the group dispersed and all walked away in separate directions. A few of them gave the man and toy dirty looks as they walked away. Barret began to protest, but was again silence by the toy on his shoulder.

"No sense wastin' yer' breath, lad. Let's jus' get back to tha' villa and plan our next move."

Barret quickly bit his tongue, and stormed through the crowd. Right then he would have loved nothing more than to unload an entire clip into what he thought was a brainless herd of sheep.

* * *

><p>Barret threw open the door of the villa, still seething from the crowd. Cait quickly hopped off his shoulder and plopped down on a nearby table, picking up a nearby pen and scribbling notes down. Marlene and Denzel were sitting on the couch, watching a program on the television. When she saw her father walk through the door, Marlene hopped up and bounded over. Barret scooped her up with a grin.<p>

"Welcome back, daddy! Did you find a good souvenir to take back home yet!?"

"Huh? What'cha talkin' about... oh!" Barret had lied about his reason for leaving earlier that day. "No, not yet! How's about we all go swimming, and then we can look together?"

At that, the little girl's eyes lit up, and even Denzel looked up from the tv. "Yay! Come on Denzel!" And jumped from Barret's arms and ran up the stairs. Denzel was right behind her.

Barret chuckled, then walked over to the table and sat in a chair, rubbing his forehead with his good hand, "Damn, man! I should'a known we'd be wasting our time here! Now what?"

Cait continued to write this and that on the notepad in front of it, "Ya can't win 'em all, Barret! Ya gotta roll with the punches sometimes! We'll just have ta' try somewhere else, and..."

Barret cut it off, "And then we'll have to explain to the kids why we're suddenly leaving here. Way I see it is, either we'll have to tell them what's really going on, or stay right here. I don't see another way around it."

Cait frowned, "I understand wantin' ta' protect the children, lad, but we gotta look at tha' bigger picture here! Besides, I think Denzel already has an idea of what's going on, and..."

"Enough already! Lil' killer might know, but Marlene doesn't and I'd rather it stay that way! If that means you moving on without me, then so be it!"

Before the situation could become even more heated, there was a rapid, hard knocking on the door. Barret flew out of his seat and looked through the tiny peephole. All that he could make out at first was a single man, mid twenties, with shaggy brown hair. "The hell does this kid want?" Barret muttered, and flung open the door. It took the man a moment to register what he saw, and even Cait leaned over to glance out the door. At least forty men and women of varying age groups had lined up and clustered around the front of the villa. Some of them had nervous looks on their faces, whilst most of them were steel-eyed and determined. Many were still in their beach attire, a few others had dressed themselves in full clothes, and almost all of them held a small weapon of some sort, ranging from knives, handguns, and even wooden planks wrapped in barbed wire. Such was to prove their determination, and their newfound passion to the cause.

The brown-haired male, clutching a handgun and dagger close, spoke, "If what you say is true, then we have all decided. Some of us had loved ones stationed at Fort Condor... others have family or friends that live in Edge. And if it means protecting them... if it means stopped another sociopath like Sephiroth... then we will fight. Many of us here are not soldiers and have had no military training... but we'll give those rebel bastards a run for their fucking money!"

Both Barret and Cait smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Cloud slowly opened his eyes, blinking a few times as the sunlight streamed into the open window and onto his face. He then glanced at the clock; seven-thirty in the morning. He groaned, and shut his eyes again. At least this time, he was able to sleep relatively peacefully, without another encounter with Sephiroth. Out of habit, he rolled over to his left and threw out his right arm, but was surprised when it hit the mattress. His eyes shot open only to find that Tifa was not there. Up he sat, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and lazily putting his bare feet on the wooden floor, collecting his thoughts.<p>

It had been three days since the war council, and his mood had not changed in the slightest. He found his feelings, especially towards Rufus, had been see-sawing lately. One moment Cloud did not trust the man, then Rufus did something that made it seem he was indeed to be trusted... and then a secret war project pops up in the north, and Rufus Shinra proved to be a shadow game after all. Yuffie had even made the joke that he was suffering from what she called "bipolarism," and should decide what his own priorities were. In the end, Cloud had decided that he was not doing this in any way, shape, or form, for Rufus. He was doing it for his family, and his home.

Rufus Shinra was, at this point, irrelevant.

Cloud looked up, hearing the bedroom door open, to see Tifa step in. She avoided his gaze at first, putting her back to him as she shut the door. "Morning, Tifa. Is something wrong?"

She stood there for a minute, then finally turned to face him, with a forced smile.

"Reno just called. Looks like today is gonna be the day we attack."

Cloud inwardly groaned, "When?"

"Tonight, just before sunset. Which means we need to leave soon."

"Yuffie and Vincent?"

Tifa shook her head, "Already left for the WRO compound. At this point, I think they might know more than we do, actually."

Cloud nodded, and started to look down at the floor, when Tifa suddenly sat next to him and wrapped her arms around one of his. "Are you scared?" He asked,

She looked up and smiled a small smile, "Of course I am. But fear can be a powerful weapon, you know? It's..." She paused, trying to think how best to word it, but he cut her off.

"The thought of losing everything and everyone you loved or ever cared about, makes you fight that much harder." He cupped her cheek, burying his face in her hair. It smelled lovely. "Well, we're gonna give 'em hell today, Tifa. For our home, and our family."

She smiled at that, and wished for just a moment they could stay like this instead. For just a moment, that there was no battles to be fought, that nothing was wrong in the world. She reluctantly pulled away and stood up, "Well, when you're ready, come outside. At least one good thing will happen today."

Cloud looked at her, puzzled, but before he could open his mouth to speak, she was gone with the door shutting partially behind her. He said nothing, but stood up and set about getting dressed and gathering his things.

* * *

><p>As soon as he came down the stairs, he saw the front door of the bar standing wide open, and knew then what Tifa had meant. The first snow of the season was now gently falling outside, and already it was beginning to stick to the ground.<p>

He stepped outside, after grabbing his jacket, to see Tifa standing there, a black fur-lined coat over her shoulders, and smiling like a child at Christmas. She looked like an angel, the white clusters that gathered in her dark hair lit up her pale skin, making her look... 'exotic' was the only word Cloud could think of right then.

"Isn't it beautiful, Cloud? Normally it doesn't snow until later in November... maybe this is a good sign?"

All Cloud could do was smile, and step over to hug her. It didn't seem like such a good sign, merely a coincidence. But nevertheless, it was a comforting one, so he silently accepted that.

"I guess we need to get going," Tifa said after a few long minutes, knowing that there were bigger things at work right then than her and her lover. "Have you got everything?"

Cloud nodded, "Yeah, I'll go warm up Fenrir while you lock up." Tifa smiled again and walked away, Cloud watching her with a smile of his own. Afterward, he stared up at the gray clouds which sprinkled snow. He remembered one of his first encounters in his dreams, with Aerith. _"Everything is about to change, Cloud," _she had said, and it turned out that she was right. Nothing seemed to be the same after everything that had happened thus far.

He snapped himself out of his thoughts as he realized his phone had been ringing. Looking around, Tifa was nowhere in sight, so he pulled out the device and looked at the number. Blocked. Instantly he saw red, and flipped it open and placed it to his ear, "Is this who I think it is, you coward?"

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Is that how you greet an old friend, Mr. Strife? I guess you weren't taught manners as a child!"<p>

The silver-haired man grinned to himself as he stepped out onto the battlements of the fortress, with a perfect view of everything below him, and out beyond the fort. Behind him, Edward stood with a laptop, which in turn was hooked to a small device resembling a satellite on a nearby table.

On the other end, Cloud gave the garbled response, "You're a maniac. You tried to hurt Tifa, you killed innocent people, and you seem intent on wearing down this planet. You're not even a man."

The leader laughed, "A Remnant is not a man regardless, Cloud," Behind him, Edward rolled his eyes, "What do you think you and your WRO friends are going to do today?"

Cloud said nothing at first, "What are you talking-"

"Let's agree to not lie to each other, Mr. Strife. Remember what I said last time? It's my business to know what is going on. And I expect I'll be seeing you in person before too much longer."

Another pause, then Cloud replied, "If I were you, I would hope the military police get to you before I do, because I will be the last thing you see in this world."

"Hah! Such confidence, I can almost respect that about you, Strife." The silver-haired man then paused, and stepped further out, standing on a large outcropping. Below, he could see men still running around to make preparations. All around him, the fields were caked with fresh snow, "Have you been outside lately? I wish you could see what I see now. It's just a shame that soon blood will melt all of this snow. I'll see you soon." Then closed the cellphone. Edward clicked a few buttons and shut the laptop.

"Where are Reij and Tormuj?"

Edward stepped closer, "Tormuj is already moving his men into the field, and Reij is gearing up now, sir."

"What do you think we should do to handle this, Mr. Cross?"

"Keep Tormuj and his men on standby... let Reij take the brunt of the assault."

There was a chuckle, "I'm sure you would love nothing more than to see Reij die or be captured. But he still has his uses, and we must hold the fort at all costs."

Edward thought for a moment, "Wouldn't it be better then, to simply wait them out? Why even send men into the field? If they do attack with air support, we can shoot 'em right down!"

Another chuckle, "Where's the fun in that? And besides, the men have been itching for a fight for months, ever since we started this little campaign. No, the men will have their blood. As such, Tormuj and Reij's forces are to stick to the original plan."

"And if the battle starts to turn in their favor, sir?"

Here the leader turned to his general, "Would you tell the person sitting next to you at a chess game what you were going to do, out loud? Remember what we discussed, Mr. Cross, and get Tormuj on the horn. I would like to talk about one final thing with him."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Rufus stared out the large window, lightly drumming his fingertips on the side of his chair. Snow was gently falling and swirling around on the air, and below on the city streets, people were rushing back and fourth. Military vehicles were abundant, some to transport civilians wanting to flee the chaos, and others heading to their respective rendezvous points. The office was empty, and the silence had given the man a headache. "Today's the day..." he muttered to himself, continuing to watch the activity of the city. He wondered then, how many people at that moment were glancing at his window from the streets. And how many of them thought he was a savior? Or a tyrant?<p>

How many people were going to die today? And at the end of it all, would it be for the right reasons, or the wrong? His eyes scanned the outer wall, and he caught a picture of himself from two years ago. The day he was officially named the new president after the death of his father. Right then he had felt that the world was his for the taking, and Rufus turned away in disgust. Not a moment later he produced a silenced pistol from his jacket and fired a single shot at the photo, the bullet hitting right between the eyes.

On the desk, a small earpiece beeped, only for Rufus to pick it up and place it in his ear, "Yes?"

"Strife and Lockhart are here, sir. We're ready for you," Tseng's voice crackled over the device.

"Two minutes," then clicked the device off and threw it back onto the desk, heaving a sigh. He stood up from the chair, picking up a nearby walking cane, and exited the office.

* * *

><p>Rufus entered the secret war room, only to find both Cloud and Tifa were already there, waiting. Off to the side stood Rude, hands folded in front of him.<p>

"Right, down to brass tacks then, Strife?" Rufus said, taking a seat at the head of the table.

Cloud and Tifa followed suite, though kept two chairs between them and the ex-president. Tifa spoke next, "Reeve said he was going to be here. Where is he?"

Rude answered her, "Last minute meeting with the army commanders. Said he'll talk to you all before Zero Hour."

Cloud turned away from Rufus, focusing instead on the floor, "Right, what's the plan?"

But Rufus chuckled, "Do you want the long or short answer?"

Cloud shook his head, trying to keep his anger in check, "Short answer. You know me."

"That I do... short answer? Kill them all before they kill us. Although Reeve would prefer to keep the chief characters alive for questioning and capitol punishment. The leader, his lieutenants, the works."

Tifa found herself agreeing with Rufus' logic, and knew if she had found Reij on the battlefield, there would be no mercy for him, "And what do you think, Rufus?" She had asked.

Rufus shrugged, "They're just going to be standing before a firing squad regardless. Just kill them on the spot I say. Then again, we have a reputation to maintain. Assuming the common people wouldn't want them dead themselves? If we simply put all our foes straight to the knife, the people might think us no different than before."

At that moment, the back door buzzed, and parted to reveal Reeve, accompanied by two outfitted WRO soldiers, "Ah, good, you're here Cloud. I have some good news, Rufus: from Barret and Cait."

Rufus motioned for the other man to take a seat, which he did, and continued to speak, "It appears the recruitment is going well enough overseas. We have forty more bodies that have just arrived this morning. They're being outfitted now."

"What sort of man sends untrained men and women to fight?" Cloud muttered under his breath.

"What's that, Cloud?" Rufus asked, cupping a hand around his ear, "I didn't catch that."

The blonde gave the man a cutting look, and repeated his question out loud. Before Rufus could open his mouth, Reeve spoke instead, "Actually, we've been running background checks all morning. Some of them actually served some time in various armies around the world. Others have viable skills, such as medical, and computer hardware."

"Even if that were not the case," Rufus said, "No one forced these people to enlist. They all made the choice themselves. Even if you were not as strong as the SOLDIER you once claimed to be, you would fight for your home, wouldn't you?"

Cloud said nothing.

"Where are the others? Vincent and Yuffie?" Tifa broke the silence.

"Vincent is with Lysa and the other Turks, gassing up the helicopters, assault vehicles, and the like. And Yuffie is... in the wind, somewhere, as always." Reeve said with a chuckle at the end.

Here Rufus slowly stood, leaning on the walking cane, "Right then. There's a vehicle waiting outside for us. It'll take us to the military compound for the final briefing. Rude, find the Wutai girl and bring her there. Quickly. After you, Tifa."

* * *

><p>After passing through several military checkpoints, the small convoy entered a high-fenced area, which was clustered with vehicles of varying sizes and purposes. Soldiers and tanker trucks clustered around vehicles to gas them up, as engineers quickly made final checks on the weapons systems, and other such things.<p>

"We're almost there," Reeve said. He then flipped open a cellphone, pressed a single number, and put the piece to his ear, "Commander Warick? Issue order number three-zero-eight. Make sure everyone is present. It's time." Then closed the phone.

Tifa, who had not said a word the entire ride, placed her hand over Cloud's, who looked up at her with a reassuring smile, before kissing her knuckles. "Make sure these find a lot of faces, babe." He had said. She giggled, and didn't say a word.

* * *

><p>A little later, the group had gathered in a large hanger, normally used to store the military's vehicles and weapons. Now it was a makeshift congregation area, as every soldier, engineer, medic, or anyone who was taking part in the attack had clustered inside, wall to wall, with the rest standing outside the large open doors. A stage was set up at the front, connected to several large speakers around the hanger, and outside for the people there. Cloud was impressed at the sheer number of people, and thought that they might just stand a chance. Many of the men and women were trained WRO soldiers, who held their weapons close with a familiarity. Others were obviously not, and looked around nervously, talking quietly among themselves. These are the ones Cloud felt sorry for, and was afraid they would be among the first to die. But, as instructed by Reeve, bit his tongue and didn't say a word.<p>

Suddenly, Vincent appeared from around the corner, and slowly joined Cloud, Tifa, and Reeve, "Rufus was wise to save many of ShinRa's old assault copters. The redheaded intern seems to think they'll be a turning point." He muttered.

Cloud turned to regard the other man, "What do you think about her, Vincent?"

Vincent shook his head, "It's why I'm going with her. She seems for the cause, but...hmph. Something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Tifa asked, but Vincent didn't say another word.

At that moment, an important looking man stepped up to the podium, flanked by two burly soldiers dressed in black combat gear. "Warick, the main commander of our forces," Reeve whispered to Cloud and the others when they gave questioning looks.

The man called Warick raised his hands and called for total silence. After, he leaned over the microphone, and began to speak. "We all know what's out there, ladies and gentleman. We've all heard the news, heard of the horrible things caused by the will of one man. One egomaniac has done so much damage to our loved ones, our homes. And for what? A false propaganda that he is 'the heir to this planet'?" Here he paused just a moment, to bang his meaty fist on the wooden podium, "I say bullshit!" This caused many of the gathered troops to murmur their approval. Warick nodded, and went on.

"This man is just that. A man. I know we all remember when those other silver haired freaks attacked Edge. This man is nothing like that. All of his cronies are made of the same stuff as we are!"

Suddenly, Yuffie appeared at Tifa's side, "Hey guys! Sorry I'm late!"

But Cloud gave her a look, then turned back to the stage, as the commander continued to speak.

Yuffie blinked a few times, "What... don'tcha wanna know where I've been or-" she was silenced as Tifa softly elbowed her in the ribs.

Right then, Rufus appeared, and replaced the commander at the mic. "Friends, I can assure you that there is nothing other-worldly about this menace. He and his commanders, his army... sacks of flesh and meat held together by bones. Just like us! Whatever you may have heard of him being another Remnant... rumors no doubt spread by the enemy himself." Here, Rufus clicked a small remote, and images began to flash on the wall behind him, via a large projector in the back of the room.

There were images of the newspaper clippings, detailing a burning Fort Condor at various angles. There were pictures of the Seventh Heaven the night it was attacked, at which point Tifa again turned away. Photos of dead bodies, men, women, and children, all riddled with bullet holes. Rufus let the images sink in for a few long minutes, then spoke again, "Are we going to allow this madman to continue committing these atrocities against us!?"

Every soldier present, including the ones outside, all shouted in unison, a deafening "NO!"

Rufus nodded, "Then godspeed to you all, ladies and gentleman. You'll all receive a hero's welcome when you return," then stepped off and away from the stage; Tseng appeared and followed him out.

"Very well, every one," Warick spoke again, "The wolves are at our door! Let's send these spineless assholes into the ocean! It's Zero Hour now! LET'S GIVE 'EM HELL!" The soldiers all cheered in unison, then quickly filed away.

* * *

><p>"This way, Cloud. I wanted to show you one quick thing." Reeve guided Cloud and the others through the swarm of soldiers. They came upon what Yuffie thought was a cross between a large van, and a tank.<p>

"What's this then?" Cloud asked.

"Prototype of a new weapon. My engineers say this thing is basically invincible. You could drop a nuke on it and it won't even leave a scratch!"

"And... has it been tested...?" Tifa asked.

There was a pause, before Reeve coughed, "Well...not yet...pressed for time and all that. But anyway!" He quickly moved on, "Step over here, Cloud," then signaled to the soldier behind the wheel. The soldier in turn pulled a lever, and the back of the vehicle, rose, then quickly parted upwards, then sideways. Inside this compartment, sat Fenrir, held in place by four small steel rods. "I took the liberty of having all of your blades stored in her as well, so you're good to go. When you're ready, stomp on the button there, and you'll be released."

"This is all good and well, Reeve, but why wouldn't I just ride out of here?"

"The enemy has made it pretty clear they want your head on a stick, Cloud. And with you leading the ground attack, who's to say they won't unleash everything they have on you? No, this is just a precaution. I mean, do what you will, I just thought..."

Cloud cut him off by slapping him on the shoulder, "No, I get it Reeve. You've helped us out again. Thank you. What part are you playing in this?"

Reeve chuckled, "Assault coordinator, of course. Myself and Tseng and a few others will be issuing orders."

Reno suddenly appeared, Lysa close at his side, and Vincent three steps away, "Yo, boss-man! Prez says it's time to get the ball rolling!"

"What are you doing, Reno?" Tifa raised an eyebrow.

"Chopper pilot, of course! Rude's gonna be my co-pilot. Demolition squad, the best job ever!"

"Good luck, all of you," Lysa said, then she and Reno disappeared into the crowd.

Vincent stared at Cloud and Tifa a moment, then nodded slowly, "...be careful." and he too slipped away.

"Yuffie will be in the truck directly behind you two. She's been given the title of our head intelligence officer." Reeve finished, "I have to report to my station now. Lift-off is in two minutes."

"Thank you again, Reeve," Tifa spoke, before hugging his neck.

"You both just come back safe, you hear?" Reeve remarked as he shook Cloud's hand, then walked away.

Hand in hand, Tifa and Cloud climbed into the vehicle through the passenger door, and waited.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Inside the command tower, Reeve oversaw a large room full of computer screens and monitors, radios, satellite feeds, and more buttons and keyboards than anyone would care for.<p>

"Officer on deck, ladies and gents!" A WRO marine shouted as Reeve entered the room. Every person immediately stood up and at attention.

"Carry on, everyone. Marcus!"

A sandy-blond haired twenty-something young man stood up, His hair was shoulder length, and most of it was hidden on a backwards ball cap. He wore dark sunglasses, "Reporting as ordered, sir!"

"Get every one prepared to ship out. And... have a little fun with it. Give the men and women some adrenaline and morale."

The young man grinned ear to ear, "Was hoping you'd say that, sir! One amped up army, comin' up!" He then sat down in a rolling office chair, and wheeled over to a second control panel which featured a large microphone. This device was one of several used to communicate with individual squads on certain wavelengths, or in this case, the entire army. He flipped a few switches, furiously typed into a keyboard, then leaned close to the mic and began to speak.

"Welcome one and all to the WRO's new radio station, where we talk 'em full of holes and pump 'em full of lead. Home to terrorist-killers and heart-stealers! Lean and mean, cocked, locked, and ready to rock!" The transmission went out to all army vehicles, and first-responder headsets, so every one heard every word. "Today we start our brand new ass-kicking rally 3000! And so, without further adieu... ladies and gentlemen... START! YOUR! ENGIIIIIINES!"

Right then, the sounds of many engines rumbling to life filled the air, and the helicopter rotors hummed and slowly began to rotate and quickly pick up speed.

"This song goes out to all our brave WRO infantrymen and women. And when ya see those terrorist assholes, give 'em an extra bullet for me!" Marcus then quickly flipped two more switches, and pressed a single button. Elsewhere, orders were given for the troops to move out. As the convoys moved out in single file and the copters took to the air, an upbeat rock song played over the control tower, and over every speaker of the army:

_I see the bad moon arising, I see trouble on the way. I see earthquakes and lightnin', I see those bad times today. Don't go around tonight, well it's bound to take your life. There's a bad moon on the rise._

_I hear hurricanes a-blowin', I know the end is coming soon. I fear rivers overflowing, I hear the voice of rage and ruin. Well don't go around tonight, well it's a-bound to take your life. There's a bad moon on the rise!_

_Hope you got your things together, hope you are quite prepared to die. Looks like we're in for nasty weather, one eye is taken for an eye. Well don't go around tonight, well it's bound to take your life! There's a bad moon on the rise!_

**And so the cogs of war again began to turn...**


	13. Hannibal ante Portas pt I

**Author's note**: This chapter has been a long time coming. The original plan was to include the battle in the previous chapter, only to realize that it would have been the longest chapter I had ever written, and probably would be the longest of the whole story.

Finally, I continued to write and write until I realized this chapter was longer than I originally had in mind. And so the battle will continue next chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 13-<strong>

**Hannibal ante Portas**

**Part I**

_Cries ring out, loud and harsh, from cracked and broken horns. Long forgotten battle cries in strange and foreign tongues_

_Spear and sword clash rhythmically, against the broken shields they beat. They bring their hate and anarchy onto Vigrid's battlefield._

_There comes Lopt the Treacherous, he stands against the god; his army grim and ravenous, lusting for their blood._

* * *

><p>The ride had not been at all a pleasant one.<p>

Cloud grunted in annoyance as the entire hummer rattled violently as it hit what seemed like the millionth pothole. Though at the same time he was glad for the distraction, as it jarred his mind from thinking of other, darker thoughts. Outside the small square window of the vehicle, many other military vehicles rushed by and fell behind, always slightly hidden by the constant cloud of dust, dirt, and snow. In the front seat sat two soldiers, and the constant crackle of radio chatter began to make his head hurt. At least, that is what the blond kept trying to convince himself was the cause, as in the past, a sudden headache usually meant his arch nemesis was trying to pull him into that other world. Cloud deduced that the less he thought of it, the less likely it were to happen.

"Echo 2-1, what's your 20?" A familiar voice suddenly came over the radio. Cloud was not sure if it was Reeve, or Tseng.

The passenger soldier grabbed the com-link and clicked it on, "Echo 2-1 reporting. Approximately ten clicks from target destination, sir."

A pause followed, then, "10-4. Continue at current speed; synchronization will commence in T-minus five minutes. Stand by," Then the radio beeped back off, and all that was heard was the hum of the motor and the occasional whirring of helicopters overhead.

Tifa had still not said a word since the army had moved out, but now the conversation had caught her curiosity, "Synchronization? What does that mean?"

The driver answered, "Standard forward attack procedure, ma'am. Basically all the ground vehicles will form a line while still in motion, and the copters will align perfectly with said line. I can't explain the rest; security reasons and all. You understand."

Tifa nodded, knowing that it would be pointless to say another word, or attempt to argue. Instead, she briefly glanced at Cloud, who was seated next to her, and was staring out the window, apparently lost in thought. She reached over, softly grasping the top of his hand. When he looked at her, she smiled a small smile, as if to say that no matter what, they still had each other, and that everything would be okay. He smiled back, lightly returning the grip on her own hand, but turned back to the window, though still kept his fingers on her hand. When it seemed apparent he didn't have much to say, Tifa looked away, and out her own window; though the view was the same as before: stampeding army vehicles, and dust.

Cloud's PHS suddenly went off, and he quickly reached into his pocket, expecting a blocked number. Instead, he saw a familiar name. He exchanged a look with Tifa, and even the passenger soldier glanced back at him. Cloud didn't even acknowledge the soldier, and instead flipped open the phone and quickly held it to his ear, saying, "Never thought I'd be glad to hear from such an ugly guy," he attempted to say with a bit of humor and sarcasm.

"Speak for yourself, Chocobo Head!" Barret's voice came over the earpiece, "At least I know that you're still alive, foo'! How is every one else? What the hell is going on?"

Cloud again glanced at the two soldiers in the front seat, turning away and speaking lower than normal, "We're on the way to the fort. Tifa, Yuffie, and Vincent are with me and the WRO army."

"Damn, really!? Well, I guess it was a matter of time before Rufus wanted to show force. Though if you ask me its all one big pissing contest!" Barret chuckled.

Cloud grinned for just a moment, "Indeed. What's going on up there?"

Barret didn't respond at first, and the question hung in the air for a minute. "Not supposed to say anything, supposedly its a security risk. But I say to hell with that!" He cleared his throat. "Me an' the toy are still in Costa del Sol, but Reeve is sendin' Cait further west to other villages and settlements to see if we can get some more bodies."

Tifa gave Cloud a look, who nodded in acknowledgment, then replied, "And the kids?"

"Great!" Barret laughed, "Marlene found a seashell this morning that she said looked like your hair! Lil' killer has his moments now and then... but he's stayed close to Marlene the whole time. Says that since he can't fight the bad guys, he can protect Marlene from them. Kid's braver than any of us, I reckon."

Cloud's heart lifted a little, knowing that the boy had been keeping his promise. Not that the older male had expected otherwise, but again it was a boost to even his own morale. He was willing to face unspeakable odds to protect those he had loved. 'Just like me...' Cloud thought to himself.

"Yo, Spikey?" Barret's voice pulled Cloud from his trance.

"Yeah?"

"Gotta go, duty calls and all that!" He again laughed, though this time it sounded forced, maybe to try and keep things from turning grim, "You guys make sure you come back alive, ya hear!?"

Cloud nodded, "And you too, Barret. Once this is all over, you're buying me a drink,"

"Hell! If you come back with that silver haired freak's head I'll buy you the whole damn liquor store! Later, Spikey!" Then he hung up the phone, Cloud returning his own to his pocket.

"What did he say?" Tifa asked a minute later.

"The kids are okay. Reeve is sending Cait to the other settlements for more recruits. Basically, business as usual."

The brunette nodded, and attempted to scoot closer to Cloud, though they were separated by an arm rest. Cloud in turn also scooted as close as the barrier would allow, and put an arm over her shoulders.

* * *

><p>Vincent stood at the corner of the open helicopter hatch, his left hand tightly gripping a security bar just overhead. The wind whipped harshly past his ears, and sent his hair and cloak flaying around in all directions. Always, the thrum of the motor blades beat against his ears, though he had since learned to ignore it. In the cockpit sat the red-haired Turk, Lysa, and another unnamed WRO soldier. Crimson eyes scanned the quickly passing land below, and the horde of vehicles charging across the grasslands. Instantly, the gunman thought back to the initial attack on the fort, and how many of the enemy had been present. He remembered the carnage, and the ferocity with which they fought. He replayed it all in his head several dozen times, and felt as though it had happened yesterday.<p>

In that moment, Vincent was beginning to question if there was enough men marching against the enemy.

An earpiece in his ear clicked on, and the man heard Lysa speak, though it was faint over the constant noise, "Quit lookin' so grim, Valentine! You're gonna give me an aneurism!"

Vincent barely did more than cut his eyes to the female pilot; when she took notice of this, he heard her laugh over the device in his ear, "Tseng was right, you have no sense of humor at all. Anyway, if you'd rather stay in the air, you can either take potshots with that hand-cannon of yours, or you can use that 50. Cal right behind you."

He didn't move, or acknowledge her at first. Eventually, he pressed and held a small button on the device, and spoke, "How long?"

Lysa clicked on an overhead radio, asking for coordinates. After the question, she flipped a small switch so that the response came over the chopper's radio: "Seven clicks to target destination," came the commanding officer's voice.

"There's your answer, Valentine," Again Lysa's voice in his ear, "Which means if you're the praying type, you might wanna get to it!"

At that, he briefly reached just beneath his collar, and touched a small object beneath his cloak and shirt, and remained silent.

* * *

><p>Yuffie slowly ran a whetstone over one of the points of her giant shuriken, the other three covered with rubber tips to prevent unnecessary stabbing. To her right sat a female combat medic, of which the ninja was grateful for, though she still felt a bit uncomfortable. Sitting in an enclosed space with three strangers didn't sit well with her, but it would have been even worse if it was a truck full of men. The entire ride, she mostly kept her eyes down and instead focused on sharpening her weapon, and doing a mental checklist of the meager supplies she had bought with her. She still couldn't believe that she was appointed as the lead intelligence officer! It sounded like such an important mission, and she was more than glad to accept. After all, she was the one who camped out in the freezing cold as the Brotherhood sent their army to assault the Fort. Surely it couldn't be any different than that, right?<p>

A voice suddenly boomed over the speakers, "Ifrit 6-3, confirm that Kisaragi is with you,"

'Oh no...' Yuffie thought to herself, thinking something was wrong.

The driver grabbed the mic and spoke, "That's affirmative, command."

"Yuffie, learn to pick up your phone." The female realized it was Reeve, and quickly yanked her PHS out of her pocket. Nine missed calls.

"Damn...!" She cursed under her breath. She had put the thing on silent and forgot all about it. Quickly, she dialed Reeve's number. "What's up, boss-man?"

She heard Reeve sigh, then, "I take it I don't need to explain exactly what you have to do and should not do?"

Yuffie placed the fourth and final rubber tip on her weapon, "Yeahyeahyeah, I got it. Don't do anything stupid or rash but collect what intel I can! Sheesh...I still don't get what that means though! Firstly, I'll be too busy fighting for my life to get anything, and I don't see what sort of information I could gather from foot soldiers that you guys don't already know, and..."

Reeve curtly cut her off, knowing she would have continued to rant, "Any little bit of information counts, Yuffie. Obviously don't go sneaking into the fort on your own, even if an opportunity comes up. I've already briefed you before the army moved out. Just... don't get yourself killed, okay?"

"Yeah... I would say the same to you, but you know. We're the ones out here sticking our necks out! Don't worry Reeve... I got this! How tough could they be?"

"That's what worries me," Reeve replied, but not unkindly, "Good luck, Yuffie,"

"Later, tater!" And she hung up the phone. Quickly, she opened it again and dialed Cloud's number. Nothing. She then tried Tifa's number, and was met with the same results.

"Hmph! What's the point of having a cellphone if you never pick it up!" She had said to the three soldiers around her. The two in the front didn't seem to hear, or care to acknowledge. The female medic sitting next to her looked over with a small smile, and said,

"My husband used to be the same way. After we got married, I had told him if he ever doesn't pick up when I call, he'd be eating his own phone, and most of his teeth."

Yuffie laughed, "Did it work!?"

"Of course it did...plus I told him if I ever had to call him more than once, he wouldn't be getting any for the rest of our marriage, teeth or not."

It took Yuffie just a split second to realize what 'any' had meant. She giggled, and held out a hand, "I'm Yuffie! Though I think you already knew that."

"Tara," the other woman said, putting her own hand out and gripping just a bit harder than Yuffie expected, "Try to not get yourself killed, okay? Hate to see such a young life's fire extinguished for such a stupid reason."

* * *

><p>At long last, the radios emitted a long winded, ear-pounding buzz, signaling for all to pay close attention to the incoming announcement. "Attention all units, attentions all units. This is Harbinger," Cloud noted that it was Reeve's voice, "Begin synchronization at once. Repeat, synchronize now. Target is confirmed to be in sight."<p>

From the air, Vincent marveled for a moment at the precision of which all the combined forces slowed down or sped up, and formed a perfect column, with the vehicles bearing mounted guns at the front.

"Right, guess you're up, Cloud," Said the driver of the vehicle.

Cloud looked at Tifa, leaning over to place his lips over hers, and let them rest there for a few long seconds. When he pulled away, he smirked, "They'll regret what they almost did to you. I'll make sure of that." Then stood up and ducked into the back of the vehicle, concealed by a hanging leather flap.

She had hated to see him go, but knew that they all had their own job to do. Tifa quickly reached into a backpack that had been provided to her, and quickly rummaged through its contents to find what she was looking for. Finally, she found it. It was a type of cufflink to snap around her right wrist, and had two circular slots along the bottom of the band. It had also been modified with four smaller bands along the bottom, for her fingers to slip through. Further up the device, just above where her knuckles would be, were short spikes made of steel.. This weapon allowed her to have full, flexible control of her right hand, but with an added kick. Again she went back into the pack and found two faintly glowing green materia, which she promptly jammed into the two circular slots. Instantly, she felt the magic flowing through her body, and it gave her goosebumps.

She was ready.

* * *

><p>Per Reeve's instructions, Cloud sat down upon the Fenrir, though found he had to crouch and bend half-forward in order to fit in the enclosed space. He clicked on his own earpiece and spoke, "Strife here, I'm ready."<p>

For the longest time, all he heard was sand and rocks hitting the underside of the hummer, and quickly moved into position. He took careful note not to hit the large red button just inches from his right boot, as he slid the key into the bike's ignition, his left hand gripping the adjacent handlebar.

Finally, a voice spoke into Cloud's ear, "Confirmed, Strife. Release when ready."

This was it. This was the night that he would finally get revenge on those who had attacked his family. Even as he imagined capturing the leader of the Brotherhood, his hairs stood up on end, and his heart rate picked up. Even the thought of wringing the man's neck with his own hands made Cloud shiver, half in delight, and half out of repulsion.

"_Good, you're finally succumbing to the darkness. You cannot fight it forever, you know. You humans are natural born monsters."_

That voice again, it causing the blonde to grip the handlebar tighter than needed, stretching the leather of his gloves, "You stay out of this, Sephiroth." Before lifting his leg up, and slamming down on the device just beneath him. Suddenly, the hissing of air temporarily drowned out all other sound, and the platform which the motorcycle was parked on slowly began to rise. At the same time, the roof parted down the center, and slowly moved upwards, and outwards. What little daylight was left of the day blinded him for a second, and the wind whistling by quickly became all that he heard. As the platform raised him well above the roof of the truck, Cloud quickly pulled up the rider's goggles, flipping another switch on the bike to open the six compartments. Without skipping a beat he reached for the smallest blade, and then the largest, fastening them to the straps on his back in an "X" formation.

He then slouched low over the bike, "You ready, old friend?" He had said as he revved the motor a couple times for good measure. It seemed to hum in excitement, ready for the carnage ahead. With a nod, Cloud stepped on the large red switch again, and the four locks holding the bike in place snapped back with a clang and a hiss of air. Then he quickly threw the transmission to 'reverse' and sped backwards, down a small pull out ramp that had activated when the bike was raised from inside. As soon as the front tire was clear of the ramp, Cloud flung the bike into first gear,, and quickly roared past the other vehicle. It took him only a second to roar through second and third, and soon he was ahead of the rest of the trucks. Once he emerged from the head of the column and the dust cleared, the target lay clear. It was set against a slowly sinking sun, a giant, ominous silhouette. Even as he saw it, and could vaguely make out approaching enemy vehicles, he again shivered as goosebumps raked down his arm.

Fort Condor. The enemy.

"This is Harbinger. All units prepare to engage. Huntsman squad, prepare to break off."

From his copter, Reno grabbed the mic and whooped excitedly into it, "C'mon boys! Let's rock these guys like a hurricane!"

Rude shook his head, but couldn't resist grinning, just slightly. "Can you never take anything serious anymore, partner?"

Reno grinned at the other Turk, quickly lighting a cigarette, "Yo! Before Meteorfall happened I was always serious business,"

"Not always," Rude corrected, flipping a switch to engage the chopper's weapon systems.

"Well, point is! That taught me somethin'. Life is too short to be serious all the time. Life can end just that quick ya know? Gotta have a LITTLE fun, even during war. It's called a morale boost! And-"

But he was interrupted, as Tseng's voice suddenly boomed over the speakers, "Both of you quit flapping your gums and concentrate," At this, Reno jerked his head to the left, to see a second chopper had flown alongside their own, Tseng staring daggers into the redhead from across the sky.

"Concentration is my middle name, sir!" Reno replied into the mic, then clicked his tongue.

"Ready when you are, Reno." Rude said, as he undid his safety harness and moved to the back of the aircraft.

"Hey! I thought I had first dibs on that, man!"

"Can't let you have all the fun."

* * *

><p>By now, the snowstorm had reached its peak, the biting winds blowing chunks of powdery white across the plains. The once green and lush landscape was now buried by at least a foot of snow. A raven descended slowly onto the snow, pecking uselessly against the powder in hopes of finding food. Only for it to quickly take to the air again as a motorcycle zoomed by, followed closely by many more vehicles.<p>

Thankfully, Cloud had the foresight to put specially made snow chains on the wheels, as normally navigating in such conditions would be near impossible. His jacket whipped violently behind him as the compartments of the Fenrir opened up, he reaching in to remove one of the blades before they shut yet again.

The two armies quickly drew up, the space between them rapidly decreasing. From their own vehicles, the militia whooped and yelled insults into the snowy air. Their orders were simple: kill them all before they kill you. And it was an order they intended to follow.

On the WRO side, the radios rapidly beeped for another important message. "Attention all units. A no-mercy issue has been approved from command. Spare only the innocent and the commanders. Captains, you may fire when ready."

That was all Reeve needed to say. Not a moment later, all other sound was drowned out by the sound of rapid gunfire. Four hummers with mounted guns broke off and steered toward the southwest, four more following suite toward the southeast. From the opposite side, the militia quickly began to return fire. Cloud raised one blade in a horizontal position to deflect the incoming gunfire, only to push the throttle as hard as it would go.

As soon as the first vehicle came within range, Cloud swung the weapon with as much force as he could manage, his target being the base of the vehicle holding down its own gun. The blade found its mark, severing the weapon from the vehicle and sending it flying backward, caught in the wind.

Lysa quickly flipped two overhead switches, as two more helicopters flanked her on either side. "Right, time to rock n' roll, Valentine! Unless you're just going to stare them all to death!"

Vincent scoffed under his breath, his gaze turned to the south. Already he could see that the two armies were engaging one another. A gloved hand quickly reached down to grip the holstered gun at his hip, then thought against it. Instead, he released the weapon, as well the security bar over him, and turned to walk toward the mounted gun on the opposite side. The constant rattling and turbulence didn't seem to phase him, as he walked without skipping a beat. Quickly, he inspected the weapon, and pulled back a lever to prepare it to fire. The satisfying 'click-clack' sound was all he needed to hear. And then he waited, just as a voice spoke from the speakers,

"Phoenix Brigade, be advised the enemy is suspected to have anti-aircraft weaponry. Support all ground units as best you can and standby for further orders."

Lysa clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed. "Lovely!"

Reno's voice this time, "Don't look so nervous, chick! If you're as good as flying as you are at throwing a left hook, you got this!"

Back on the ground, the two forces were very close now, less than twenty feet away. Time itself seemed to slow down. The first few lines of enemy vehicles had quickly parted, revealing a row of gargantuan vehicles, their grills and front bumpers rigged with solid walls of steel, and large spikes. Cloud yanked the Fenrir out of the way of the oncoming behemoths, behind him he could hear other vehicles attempting to do the same. One of the large trucks missed him by a hair's breadth, and the sickening, deafening sound of metal striking metal told him that one of the WRO vehicles-and likely everyone inside of it—was destroyed.

As soon as the enemy was within range, Vincent yanked back on the double triggers, and the rapid booming of the giant gun was all he heard. Bullets rained down on the enemy, though he found he had to often pause and adjust his aim, to prevent hitting any of the allied vehicles. Suddenly, a flash of light from an enemy blazed to life, and an unknown projectile quickly hurtled toward the helicopter, it trailed by a stream of fire and smoke. Instantly, warning alarms rang all around him, and he realized this thing was meant to shoot the copter from the sky. He paused, watching the missile carefully. Just as it seemed it would hit them, Vincent quickly snatched out his weapon and fired a single shot. The shot was dead on, as the missile suddenly exploded harmlessly mid-air.

"Nice shot, Valentine! Glad you're here!" Lysa shouted over her shoulder.

Chaos was abundant all around him. Cloud had to focus harder than ever to avoid running headlong into other vehicles; all of which seemed intent on harming him even at the cost of ramming into their own allies. And such a thing often happened, as the only other sound he had heard aside from the constant ringing of gunfire, was the sound of one truck striking another, usually followed with an explosion. Always, bullets zipped past his head and arms, and the blonde did whatever he could to disable the enemy. Many times the blade in his right hand swung outwards to slash a tire, or if he was lucky, two. One militant had made the mistake of leaning halfway out of a window with a pistol just as he passed by. That man payed for it, as burning silver cut through flesh like a knife through butter, his entire upper body being severed, and Cloud left sprayed with blood. He gagged, but found his senses and continued on.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>The binoculars painted the scene below very well. In some places it was impossible to see, due to a constant vortex of dirt and snow, but even from so far away, the noises of war rang clear. The occasional eruption of fire broke through the snow, often accompanied by the agonized screams of dying men and women.<p>

The silver haired leader chuckled darkly, "Ah yes. I haven't seen this sort of carnage in a long time. An amazing spectacle, wouldn't you agree?"

Edward cleared his throat, "Sir, neither force seems to be willing to give ground."

"And that is a bad thing?" For a moment the other put down the binoculars, and looked his general in the eye, "So long as we are not losing, that is all that matters!"

Edward shifted nervously, afraid to continue to question his leader, but spoke regardless, "But if they decimate our forces here, even if both armies lose, the WRO no doubt has a back-up team. And that could be the end of us all."

The leader narrowed his eyes, but went back to watching the battle below him. They were positioned on the highest floor of the Fort, normally where the phoenix would be roosted. Around them, and even far below, were several armed men.

After a tense silence, the leader spoke again, "If they had any more men I suspect they'd be throwing everything they had at us. But perhaps you are right, Mr. Cross. And besides, there seems to be no... variety. I expected a more entertaining show than this." He put down the spectacles and continued, "Let us pull another trick out of our hat. Send a message down below: begin charging the EMP."

"But... that will disable our vehicles as well, sir. And also our computer and security systems, and..."

"Do not question me, Cross! The computers and vehicles can be recharged and used again. Better render them temporarily useless than to lose them period." Here the man pointed at the helicopters that continued to circle the sky. Always, flashes of yellow shot from them, and eliminated one vehicle after another. "Will it at least take out their air support?"

Now Edward began to sweat, and even took one step backward, "Our engineers tinkered and toyed with it ever since we took the fort, but... once its launched from here, its unlikely the blast radius will reach more than twenty feet from the contact point into the air. It's just an old weapon, sir; nothing more could be done with it I'm afraid."

Instead of appearing angry or otherwise displeased, the leader thought for a moment before speaking, "A gamble, then. Surely it would be possible to detonate the weapon while it was in the air, but that would mean their ground assault would continue. On the one hand... Well then! I've already made up my mind."

"Orders, sir?"

"Take out their ground vehicles. I count only three helicopters, and our other weapons can deal with them. Listen carefully, Edward, for I trust your hastiness and judgment on this."

The general immediately stood at attention, and did as was instructed.

"Give the order to launch the EMP. Then have someone get Reij and Tormuj on the radio. I don't think I need to explain myself further on that matter. And finally, send a message to our friends in the rear. Tell them to begin preparing the other surprise. And do it quickly, damn you."

"Right away, sir!" And off Edward ran, faster than he thought possible, to carry out the orders.

The leader then picked the binoculars back up, and scanned the battle below. It didn't take long to spot the spiked hair zooming around on a motorcycle. He smirked, and uttered under his breath, "Let's see how you deal with this, Strife."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [ VII ] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>As the motorcycle veered left and shifted right, the hair's on the back of his neck began to stand on end. Over the roar of gunfire, there was a faint explosion from the fort. Instantly, his earpiece boomed with an urgent announcement,<p>

"Brace yourselves! Unknown enemy projectile incoming!"

Cloud looked up to see a large, silver sphere soaring through the air. And it seemed to be aimed directly at him. Without a second thought he quickly hit the brakes, turning Fenrir so that it slid sideways only a few more feet, before coming to a halt. Not a moment later, the sphere struck the dirt with a loud 'thump!' and began emitting a low-pitched whirling sound. Unsure of what this thing was, he threw the bike back into gear and zoomed away, vanishing between two more trucks as they passed by.

"All units get the hell away from that thing right now!"

But then it was too late. The device gave off a light blue aura, which swirled in smokey tendrils away from it, only for all of that energy suddenly be sucked back towards it. It began to beep furiously, the previously low-pitched whirring now near deafening. Then all was silent for a moment, and finally the device exploded, sending fire and shrapnel about twenty feet in all directions. However, the blue energy suddenly shot out in all directions, completely covering the battlefield. It passed harmlessly through every one, and every thing. However, all of the vehicles suddenly came to a screeching hault. Cloud had not expected this, and was thrown over the handlebars of the Fenrir. He quickly found his footing and looked around, sword raised to defend himself. Every vehicle was now dead in the water. He tried furiously to contact someone through his ear piece, to no avail.

They had used an electromagnetic-pulse bomb to disable their standing forces, as well their own. However, the thrum of helicopter blades continued.

Reno quickly reached for his mic, "Yo, command! What the hell is going on!?"

"You tell me, Reno!" Reeve replied, "We've lost all visual of the battle and can't get in touch with any of our units!"

In the other copter, Lysa replied, "All vehicles, allied and enemy, suddenly stopped, sir. I don't think that was a regular bomb!"

Now came Tseng's voice, "Of course, it was an EMP. Looks like it wasn't a good enough one as we're still in the air. But this could be disastrous."

"You think, Tseng!? How can we coordinate an offensive without being able to communicate!?" Reeve's panicked voice yelled, "Damn it! I'll scramble the reinforcements, just in case evac is needed. You Turks keep me informed."

"Yes, sir."

"You got it, boss!"

Below, all was silent, as none were sure exactly what to do next. Even the militia were confused, as they had not been informed such a thing would happen. As such, most of them assumed it was a new weapon used by the WRO. Multiple attempts were made to contact their respective commands, with obvious results.

Finally, a high-ranking WRO soldier clambered out, and scrambled to the top of his truck, brandishing a large megaphone. "Well what in the fuck are you all waiting for!? A hand-written invitation?! Get the hell out and let's waste these assholes!"

Right then, every door to every vehicle on both sides flew open, and soldiers scrambled out and attempted to rendezvous with each other. Others wasted no time in opening fire on the opposing force.

Tifa flipped a small button and was ejected through the roof of the vehicle, twirling twice in the air and landing on the hood with a 'clang!' A fire burned in her eyes, as she quickly looked around for the man she wanted. Instead, she jumped from the hood to land on a nearby militant, using the spiked knuckles of her right hand to end his life. Not wasting a moment, she shot forward, her left hand glowing with a pale green light. One man raised his rifle to her, as a flame roared to life in her hand, forming a sphere and shooting outward. Even as that man fell over in a screaming, burning heap, Tifa cartwheeled past two more men swinging machetes, and landed between two more. Grabbing their necks, she slammed their skulls together, rendering them unconscious, before moving on to the next one.

Yuffie was likewise catapulted from her own vehicle, but wasted no time. Before her feet hit the ground, she hurled out her weapon, and with her other send a pillar of ice toward the first thing she saw move. Twirling left she caught the shuriken, and then twirled again twice, swinging the weapon and claiming the lives of two more men. She stopped just for a moment, and saw four men with small swords looking at her. Once eye-contact was met, she charged her. "Hah! Come and get me!" And ducked between two vehicles. As soon as the four men rounded the corner, they were blown away by a crackle of lightening. Nodding in excitement, the ninja pounced on another militant, kicking him square in the jaw before setting him ablaze and bounding away. Suddenly, she saw Tara, the combat medic, exchanging gunfire with the enemy. She didn't even see the man sneak up behind her with the large knife. "Tara! Watch out!" And threw the shuriken harder than she ever had. The weapon zoomed through the air, then twisted, veered to the left, and sliced through the man's jugular. Tara whipped around, eyes wide as the planet itself.

"Thanks, Yuffie! I owe ya one!"

Cloud meanwhile, had wasted no time engaging the enemy. After drawing the other, smaller blade, he charged, using his left-hand weapon to deflect the hail of bullets, and using the other to wipe out his enemies. He rounded a corner, and found a team of six men, all pointing their rifles directly at him, "Silver Hair sends his regards, asshole!" One of them had said. Cloud's heart froze, and acted solely on instinct. He quickly twisted away, using a sword to knock away the bullets. He jumped up, flipped backward, and used his right-handed weapon to cleave a vehicle in half. Not a moment later, he kicked the metal heap, and it in turn barreled directly over all six men, killing them near-instantly. He turned again, holding up his right blade as bolts of lightening scattered around him. The electricity came dangerously close as it sparked on all sides of the weapon, singing his arms and parts of his face. He gripped the weapon tighter, and quickly moved in one fluid motion. The right blade knocked aside the electricity, and the left slammed into the dirt, sending a crescent shaped energy shock out, and then that man was no more.

Vincent continued to scan the battlefield below, which now seemed more chaotic than ever before. He was unsure of who was an enemy, and who was of the WRO. The .50 caliber weapon was not accurate by any means. However, the copter began to circle behind the enemy lines, and that is when Vincent showered the clusters of militia with shrapnel and lead. Oftentimes he would run back and fourth, in order to shoot down another missile, once Lysa advised him as such. However, as the copter turned and faced west, something caught Vincent's eye. There, coming from the northwest and northeast, came two dark columns, obviously reinforcements. Without so much as blinking an eye, he clicked on his piece, "Reeve, it looks like the militia is sending their own reinforcements."

The piece cracked and popped, "What!? How do you know!?"

Vincent harrumphed, "Unless your men are already here. They're trying to pin our forces between them."

Reeve's voice took over the intercom, "Phoenix Brigade, you all have to take out those men before they reach the battle."

Vincent heard Reno's voice this time, "What's the severity if they happen to get there, boss?"

Reeve spoke, "That means our troops and friends will be trapped behind enemy lines. And we won't be able to evacuate them. Get it done!"

"Right!" Reno said, clicking off the mic. "Yo, Rude! You got that thing ready yet?"

The redhead looked over his shoulder to see the other Turk step from the back, one hand gripping a large bazooka over his shoulder, and the other with a silver suitcase. He nodded, as he put down the suitcase and quickly fastened a safety harness to the security bar over his head.

"Let's give these guys a couple party favors, partner," He said, as he slung the hatch of the copter open.

The three helicopters then turned north and began their advancement.

Tseng's copter was the first to be within range of the oncoming army, He flipped up a security lock on the throttle, then pressed and held a large button. The turrets on either side of the copter quickly shot out several hundred rounds per second. While it wasn't entirely accurate, it did manage to force part sof the ranks to cluster, others to scatter in hopes of not being cut in half by the sudden barrage. Lysa's copter likewise followed suit, with Vincent concentrating his fire on the center of the group. Occasionally, once the copter was close enough to the ground, he would again pull his own gun out, and take potshots at the closest enemy.

Reno and Rude on the other hand, suddenly broke off formation, and instead circled around to where the army was coming from. Now they faced south, following the group and the copter itself slowing down just a bit.

"While we're still young, Rude!"

Without wasting another second, Rude fired the cannon at the enemy below, aiming for the lead of the pack. This cone shaped projectile buried itself halfway into the dirt, the initial impact taking out a couple foes. The rest of them quickly scattered even moreso, others turning and running the opposite direction. Finally, the missile exploded in a sizable fireball, claiming whoever was too close. However, at time of detonation, three smaller frags shot outward in three different directions, each one detonating at the same time, adding further casualties.

"Woohoo!" Reno shouted, "Damn, partner! You know how to put on a show, don'tcha!?"

Rude chuckled softly, quickly reloading the weapon and firing off another shot at the opposite column, "You didn't think I liked to blow stuff up as much as you?"

However, the mood quickly soured, as rocket-propelled grenades suddenly shot up through the trees on either side of the advancing troops. The three helicopters had to briefly halt their assault and broke ranks, all in opposite directions.

"Looks like they expected us." Tseng said over the com-link. "Lysa, fly over the outskirts of the woods. Valentine, shoot everywhere and anywhere. Try to take them out."

"Yes, sir!" Lysa replied, and steered the aircraft towards the woods. While Vincent fired blindly into the forest below, Lysa launched her own grenades from the copter, the resounding explosions setting fire to the trees and even revealing hidden militia members.

This went on for several long minutes and, while Rude's weapon had made a dent in the reinforcements, it suddenly became more chaotic. The number of enemy missiles seemed to increase, and it was all the three Turks could do to avoid being hit. Even Vincent had struggled to eliminate them. Counter-offense quickly became impossible.

"Sir, they have greater firepower than we thought!" Lysa quickly shouted into the mic, "Request permission to return to base!" At that, Vincent turned to look at the female, and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Negative!" The commander on the other end hastily replied, "Those choppers are the only advantage we have over them! Support our troops as best you can, but don't endanger yourselves!"

While the Turks had done their best to hold back the enemy, it was no use. Back on the ground, the fight raged on, and no one seemed to notice the advancing troops from the north. That is, until an ear-splitting horn caused all to briefly ceasefire, and turn to the north. Neither side was sure whom they intended to aid. That is, until the three helicopters zoomed by overhead, and began to open-fire. Then the carnage resumed as quickly as it had started.

Tifa ducked under a meaty fist intended for her cheek, swinging her own fist upward to catch the man in the jaw. His body flipped backwards and he landed on his head. A faint snapping sound told the woman he was no more. No time to savor that victory, next she heard a single gunshot, and a bullet zip past her cheek, cutting the skin and narrowly missing her head. On instinct, she hit the dirt, quickly back hand-springing toward where the bullet had come from. At the last moment she pushed off with more force, soaring over the foe and landing behind him. The last thing the man knew in this world was leather-bound hands wrapping around his chin and head, and the neck was broken. Tifa cringed as she heard the bones break, never thinking she would resort to such extremities against another human. But she knew it had to be done. At the same time, all she could think about was what happened to her at the bar, not so long ago, and that any of these men would love to do the same thing to her.

The battle reached its peak when the other two armies entered the fray, though Cloud had lead several WRO troops out to meet them. The blond jumped up, landing amidst a cluster of foes, and swinging both blades out in horizontal slashes as he met the ground again. Quickly his left boot came up and connected to another, large man's face. This man fell backward, his large girth knocking back several of his buddies. Feeling his adrenaline reach its crescendo, Cloud flung the sword in his left hand outward, it twirling through the air several times before stabbing through five men. He rushed forward, yanking out the blade and continued to duck, twist, and jump amongst the foe.

As Tifa blasted another enemy was a fireball, she felt a small stone strike the back of her head. On instinct she whirled around and took a single step, fists raised for the next enemy. What she saw caused her heart to stop, and blood run cold. There was no mistaking who it was, as she studied the photograph extra hard.

"Hey there, Lockhart! Heard you're looking for me! Well here I am, so let's get right down to it, shall we?" Reij yelled over the commotion. In his right hand he bounced up and down a small grenade.

Finally, the one thing she wanted more than anything was about to happen. Her right arm stretched straight out, pointing the menacing spiked knuckles at their intended target. Her left arm bent at the elbow and forearm and fist was held just four inches from her chest. Every muscle in her body was tense, and she now felt a surge of adrenaline and rage like she had never felt before.

This was it.

Reij laughed, "Oh, baby! Am I going to enjoy this! Come on then, wench! Let's see what you got!"

Tifa lunged, intent on separating his head from his shoulders.


	14. Hannibal ante Portas pt II

**Author's note:** Just a small warning here, lords and ladies. Though this story is indeed rated M and this might be the most obvious thing I ever type. The violence in this chapter is like... a lot. It's been ramped up to the level of brutal. If this chapter were a movie it would probably be banned in 37 countries. The reason for such brutality and majorly graphic scenes is I feel that in war, it changes you. It becomes less a test of your own strength and more about simply wanting to stay alive, no matter what it takes. Second most obvious thing I've ever typed.

Anyway, also from this point on all author's notes will take place at the END of the chapters, should they be applicable. I've been working on this chapter for a long time. Enjoy.

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 14-<strong>

**Hannibal ante Portas**

**Part II**

_You take a mortal man, and put him in control. Watch him become a god, watch people's heads a'roll,_

_Just like the Pied Piper led rats through the streets. We dance like marionettes, swaying to the Symphony... of Destruction!_

_Acting like a robot, it's metal brain corrodes. You try to take it's pulse, before the head explodes._

* * *

><p>Yuffie had cowered behind a disabled truck, the combat medic Tara and two other soldiers just to her right. Very few words existed that could describe the insanity of the chaotic battle still raging around them. By now, the sun had long since sank behind the horizon, but still the armies fought, seemingly with more ferocity. All around the field, turned over vehicles had been set ablaze, and the muzzles of guns briefly illuminated whoever was behind the flash. Overhead, the three helicopters zoomed back and fourth, their turrets constantly firing, and the occasional rocket being blasted from one of them. The skies were no less insane, as grenades fired from all directions, at multiple angles, into the sky in hopes of bringing down the steel birds of war. Yuffie and Tara had barely moved from their spot for the past hour; Yuffie was simply afraid to move, or even breathe.<p>

This was something she was not used to.

"This is crazy!" Yuffie yelled over the constant gunfire. She also noted the occasional agonized scream of someone not far off. Her instinct to find and aid the person behind the voice was outweighed by her profound desire to live.

To her right, Tara shot upward to lop a grenade into a cluster of oncoming enemies, only to fling herself back down to the dirt, "First time in combat, I assume?"

But Yuffie shook her head, "No, of course not! But I mean... I've never been in a battle like THIS before!"

Tara nodded, as the two soldiers next to her stood up and began to fire, then duck, reload, and fire again. "I understand. The constant noise, fear, never knowing what'll happen next or when your life is gonna end?" Yuffie then noted that the other woman seemed to laugh, "You get used to it, though I wish no one had to. Just remember this, kiddo! You're only as strong as the person standing next to ya!" Here Tara clapped her on the shoulder, "Not the time for a pep talk, sure. But I got your back!"

Yuffie grinned, finding her courage again. She suddenly stood up, Tara following close behind in one fluid motion. The shuriken left her hand in an instant, and a blue aura suddenly lit up her left hand, and shot out a spiked chunk of ice. The shuriken twirled through the air in a horizontal line, taking out a few more men and narrowly missing the WRO soldiers. Behind Yuffie, Tara fired off shots from her pistol at those who thought to take the head of the young ninja who had suddenly appeared. Yuffie caught the weapon, but wasted no time in sending it back out, a second ice wave following closely behind.

* * *

><p>For Cloud, the entire world seemed to be in a constant state of slow-motion. When someone jumped toward him intent on ending his life, that man was killed quicker than he could realize. Cloud had quickly noted that as the battle raged on, the method in which he killed slowly became more... brutal. One man had gotten the jump on Cloud, and held the barrel of a pistol directly to his head. Cloud in turn used an elbow to knock the gun away, twisted, and cleanly sliced a hole across the man's stomach. The blonde had watched as the man futilely tried to pick his intestines off the ground before falling into a bloody heap. Cloud stood there longer, staring at the corpse there before him, realizing what he had done. He shook off the lingering thoughts and simply dove forward, tucking and rolling between two other men as they shot their guns where he once stood. Slicing the back of their legs with one swipe, he disabled those two men, using the blunt end of his weapons to knock them out. He looked up, and noted Tifa was furiously attacking somebody, and took a step forward to help. Before he could take another step, a shadow dropped from the skies and knocked Cloud to the ground.<p>

* * *

><p>Tifa, on the other hand, had been constantly throwing herself at her enemy.<p>

Reij merely ducked and twisted away, laughing the entire time, "All I heard about Strife's precious fist fighting whore was that she was so fast and deadly. You're a joke!"

Tifa gnashed her teeth, she was sure right then her face was red and veins throbbed around her temple. But she paused, took a deep breath, and found her focus. "If you're think you're so much better than me, then fight! Are you afraid of a woman?"

That seemed to catch his attention, as Reij drew a machete from the back of his pants, "Bring it on, then!"

Tifa lowered herself into a fighting stance, the two materia on her wrist glowing softly, "I have been, but it seems all you know to do is run away!"

Then the two charged each other again.

Using a similar tactic as she had done in the bar, Tifa hit her back and slid between the man's legs, quickly leaping up, turning and throwing out her left fist. But Reij was faster than he seemed, and caught her fist in his own, quickly swinging the machete in his other hand to retaliate. Tifa threw out the steel knuckles, catching the blade between the index and middle digits. Thankfully it was reinforced steel, so the blade did little more than scratch the weapon. The brunette then twisted her wrist, using all of her strength to push the blade away from her. At the same time she yanked her left hand back, spun, and caught Reij in the face with the toe of her right foot. Not waiting for him to recover, she lunged again, jumping up, and planting her feet on his stomach, and grabbing his shirt collar with both hands.

She then in turn threw her weight backwards, hitting her back again and using her feet to propel her enemy through the air. Reij flipped backward and slammed into the side of a parked truck. He was stunned for just a second, just in time to look up and fling himself out of the way. A moment later, Tifa's fist connected with the vehicle, creating a large dent where the man's head used to be.

"Hah! Maybe I underestimated you, wench!" Reij cackled as he continued to duck and twirl out of the way.

The two paused to stare each other down. All around them the battle raged on, soldiers of both sides quickly moving away from the two. Tifa's chest rose and fell rapidly, trying to quickly catch her breath.

"You planned the attack on my bar. You're the one who ordered those men to rape me and harm the children!" Tifa's rage only continued to boil, and right then she felt entirely the opposite of her normal self, "I hope you've enjoyed whatever sick, pathetic life you've lived. Because it's about to end!" And lunged again.

Reij drew back and attempted to swing the machete again, but Tifa slammed her wrist into his own, blocking the attack, and driving her left fist upward. But instead of simply punching him, she wrapped her fingers around his throat and lifted him into the air, only to slam him down again into the dirt. Again Reij was stunned, but not enough to matter. He laughed up at his attacker, even under threat of imminent death.

"So you think that fourth set of boot prints was mine? You really are a stupid bitch, aren't you?" And continued to laugh.

Tifa kept her guard up, "How do you know about the-"

"Ah ah! A good magician never reveals his secrets. Besides, what's the point in showing all your cards before the fun REALLY begins!?"

Tifa hadn't noticed that Reij now held a small circular device, attached to it was a small string, which Reij quickly yanked out and pointed towards Tifa's face. On instinct, Tifa jerked away, and not a moment too soon. The device released a concentrated blast of shrapnel, glass, and a small fireball harmlessly into the air. Tifa recovered, and drew herself up again.

"Whether or not you were there that night... as far as I'm concerned, you are the cause of what almost happened there. All the fire and shrapnel in the world isn't going to save you now, coward."

Reij grinned, yanking apart a vest he wore over his usual gear, to reveal a long string of various devices. Some of them grenades, more of the cylinder cones that he had just attacked her with, and other such things.

"Maybe not, but at least I know if it's my time to go, you're going right with me!"

* * *

><p>For just a moment, the shadow had blinded Cloud and forced him to the ground. Quickly recovering, he jumped back to his feet, holding both blades in a sort of L shape to defend himself. There, across the field, was a man in padded, decorated leather armor. His hair was dark, with a string of feathers and beads in it. Cloud recognized the man from Reeve's reports, and knew this was another lieutenant.<p>

"Greetings, sir Strife!" Tormuj yelled, bowing at the waist and holding his palms out at his sides. A moment later, he drew from his belt the jagged, wicked looking knives, and sunk into a fighting stance.

Cloud wasted no time, and charged. He started with an over-the-head slashing motion with the left handed weapon, which the enemy merely twisted away with more speed than seemed possible. As Tormuj moved away, he slashed at Cloud's arm, creating a gash and drawing blood. Not even wincing, Cloud then repeated the attack, but instead threw his right-handed weapon out right behind the left. Again Tormuj simply ducked out of the way and cutting the blonde in the arm or face.

"Fight, coward!" Cloud yelled.

Tormuj laughed, "This one is not a fool, fellow warrior! A smart man knows when he is outmatched by his enemy. Were this one to fight you head on, the results would be bloody indeed!" He paused, and sunk into a different, more flamboyant looking fighting stance, "Care to try again?"

Cloud grit his teeth in frustration, and attacked again. This time he brought his left hand up and lunged straight out when the enemy came within range. Tormuj jerked away, then danced toward Cloud, and quickly sliced his knife across Cloud's exposed wrist. The sudden pain caused the blonde to exclaim, and drop his weapon. He swung his other weapon in an under-arm motion, and Tormuj flipped backward. Right then, it felt like swatting at an annoying fly, which caused Cloud to laugh. He pressed his wrist tightly against his body to stem the blood flow, keeping on alert.

Tormuj appeared again, "This one merely wanted to introduce himself, sir Strife!"

At that moment, there was a loud thumping sound, with each 'thump' the ground seemed to shake just a little bit. Cloud looked around to try and locate the source of the noise. A man, larger than any Cloud had seen before, pushed his way through the battle. Easily nine, maybe even ten feet tall, his forearms alone were nearly bigger than all of Cloud's body. His attire was common militia gear, though he had no weapons to speak of. He had a dark, sphere-shaped helmet that covered his entire head and face, with a small slit for his eyes, and four smaller ones to breath out of. A WRO soldier ran up with a drawn sword, and stabbed this man right beneath his ribs. The freakishly large man didn't even blink, but stared down at the weapon, before backhanding the soldier, sending him several feet into the air.

"Sir Strife, I believe I've found a more... appropriate opponent for you! Behold, the Hammerhand!" Tormuj announced with obvious amusement. "I shall leave you both to it. Fight well!" And vanished amidst the crowd.

Cloud quickly shook off the pain and slight dizziness, noting that his wrist had stopped bleeding, but knew over-exertion could open the wound back up. He quickly picked his dropped weapon up, and prepared himself. The mutant called Hammerhand slowly walked to an over-turned militia vehicle, and ripped a large steel pipe from the underside.

"Great..."

* * *

><p>As the sun had sunk below the horizon and darkness overtook the battlefield, the three helicopters had switched on their spotlights, which quickly scanned the battle below. Even with the light, it became more and more difficult to not accidentally fire upon their own allies.<p>

"Yo! Who's bright idea was it to attack at night knowing damn well its harder to see!" Reno shouted into his mic, jerking the throttle to the left to avoid being struck with another grenade.

"I'm wondering the same thing!" Lysa replied.

"If you're both that afraid then you're in the wrong line of work." Tseng's voice followed, clearly not amused.

And then there was another voice, one none of the pilots expected to hear, "All of the men and women down there knew exactly what they were getting into," it was Rufus' voice, "There will always be casualties of war, and sometimes they're accidental and caused by friendly fire. Do your jobs."

Right then, Reno turned and looked at Rude, clearly shocked, "Is he serious? We're supposed to just gun down our own guys?"

Rude shook his head, "I don't think he meant it like that. But this isn't the time to debate."

Vincent heard the radio chatter and quickly became disgusted. It seemed Rufus didn't care about the innocents, only wanting to accomplish his own agenda. He didn't care what he was ordered to do, he was not about to turn the gun onto the battle, knowing he could also hit any of the WRO soldiers below, or even his own friends. Right then, Rufus seemed no different from the leader of the Brotherhood. And so, he released his hold on the mounted gun, and instead removed the gun at his belt.

As he began to take aim at a gargantuan man trading blows with Cloud, the warning alarms began to buzz loudly. Vincent quickly looked around and, not seeing an incoming missile, darted to the other side. Still, he saw nothing. Suddenly, an ear-splitting explosion temporarily drowned out all other sound, and the helicopter began to shudder and shake violently.

"Shit! I think we're hit!" Vincent heard Lysa yell. She and the copilot furiously started flipping switches and pulling levers, trying to regain control of the craft.

Before Vincent could react further, the tail of the copter suddenly jerked to the right, which in turn caused him to be flung to his side, and directly out the open hatch door.

"Phoenix Brigade 2 to base! Our rotor's been hit and its hard to maintain altitude!" Again Lysa called into her mic, "Request leave to return to base!"

There was a long-winded pause, and Lysa was afraid that the communications had been fried somehow. Finally, an officer said, "Permission granted Phoenix 2, you fought well." At which point Lysa breathed a sigh of relief, and turned her craft back north, glancing one last time at the carnage below.

Vincent had grabbed onto the bottom of the copter with his left hand, the right still tightly gripping his weapon. He began to pull himself up, but realized the helicopter had veered north, and was likely returning to Edge. He glanced down, and the battlefield rolled by quickly. He decided he wasn't about to abandon his comrades, and, after inhaling deeply, released his hold and plummeted to the ground below.

He landed on a stalled vehicle, the impact causing the hood to bend, nearly in half. Without wasting a second, Vincent soared off the vehicle, and fired his weapon six times. Six militants fell over, and were no more. Quickly, he slid another cartridge into the weapon, thrusting his gauntlet out and catching an oncoming enemy in the throat. Slowly, Vincent raised this man into the air, tightening his grip while simultaneously, menacingly, narrowing his eyes.

"Tell me. Do you believe you are innocent? That you don't deserve to die?" Vincent asked.

The man struggled to speak, kicking his legs pointlessly out to find solid ground, "Fucking... get on with it you freak...!"

Not a moment later, the crimson-clad marksman squeezed as hard as he could, and violently twisted his wrist, snapping the man's neck. He dropped the corpse, turned away before it hit the ground, and began firing into a group of oncoming enemies.

* * *

><p>Tifa had remained in near-constant motion, throwing herself over and over at the one person she hated the most. However, the enemy was crafty, and it still surprised her just how fast he was. When she threw a punch, he caught her fist in his own, and attempted to twist her arm. She, however, was all too familiar with that trick, and managed to free herself from his grip, then lunge again.<p>

"I thought you'd be more fun than this, bitch!" Reij cackled.

Tifa paused, and allowed herself a small smirk, "I'm just getting started!"

Again she jumped forward, this time raising her right leg and aiming it for his neck. As soon as that was blocked, she withdrew, took a step, and this time threw up her left leg, her right fist following closely behind. Reij managed to push back her leg, but the fist caught him in the left cheek, and he stumbled to his right. Tifa, refusing to let him recover, charged. She hit the back of his head with her leg, causing him to stumbled forward and roll in the dirt, whereupon she was on him in a second.

"Let's see how you deal with this, then!" She yelled. Not wanting to kill him just yet, she flicked a small switch on the inside of the steel knuckles, causing the spikes to withdraw inside the weapon.

She then yanked him up by the hair with her left hand, and punched as hard as she could with the right, each time releasing his hair so his head fell back into the dirt. She did this a few more times, but throughout, Reij didn't stop laughing. Finally, he had enough. Tifa suddenly felt his ankles wrap around her throat, and force her backward onto the ground. Coughing, she quickly regained herself.

Reij was already on his feet; his face was gashed, and he turn and spat out a wad of blood, wiping the excess off his lip, "Tell me, Lockhart. Did you feel helpless that night? Were you so sure your life was about to end, after my boys had their way with you?"

Her body tensed, and instantly the flashbacks started all over again, "A pity you weren't there, though I'm glad you weren't. If Cloud had killed you before I could get my hands on you, I'd be very disappointed!"

He grinned, spitting out more blood, "I'm a rebel leader, idiot! Why do the dirty work myself when I have other morons do the work for me?"

"You're not a rebel leader, you're not a JENOVA descendant or whatever you sociopaths believe you are." Tifa's body slowly sunk down, prepared to lunge again, "You're nothing but a pink little man who's too slow on the draw. If you think that-" She was cut off, as a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her midsection, and hoisted her into the air. Panicking, she quickly felt the air being squeezed from her lungs, and she struggled to regain the upper hand.

"Not so tough now, are ya, wench?" Reij laughed.

"Do it now, boss! I'm ready to go into the Lifestream!" The man holding Tifa said. Reij nodded, and removed from the inside of his jacket a grenade. Tifa saw this and her panic only rose, struggling even harder to try and release herself, but it was no use.

The man had an iron grip on her and he just wouldn't budge.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the grenade was thrown at the man's feet.

She knew that this was the end.

But then, Tifa felt the grip loosen, ever so slightly. Taking the opportunity, she used all her might to force the man off of her, though it was done with far more effort than needed. She quickly dove as far away as she could, turning just in time to see several small knives, or another like-weapon in the man's neck, before the grenade detonated and sent blood and giblets in all directions.

Tifa quickly looked around, but Yuffie was nowhere in sight, assuming she had thrown the weapons and then dispersed. She instead turned and tried to find Reij, but he was gone. The only light in the area were the burning vehicles.

Only once she heard another explosive detonate and his laugh, did she spring back into action, burying the steel spiked knuckles into whoever got in her way.

* * *

><p>Yuffie and Tara had taken shelter inside an overturned vehicle, and Tara was now working on patching a gash in Yuffie's leg. During the fighting, a militant who was thought to be dead, lashed out and attempted to sever the girl's leg; that man paid for it with a shuriken point lodged in his neck. Outside, a pair of soldiers stood watch, ducking and running around the vehicle to keep enemies at bay.<p>

"How's it lookin' doc?" Yuffie asked.

"Only a flesh wound," The other woman responded with a bit of dry humor, "You can still walk, right?"

Yuffie nodded, "Of course! I'm made of stronger stuff than I look! Let's get back out there!"

"Not so fast, champ. Here," Tara reached into a pouch on her hip and removed a tiny blue vial, "I'm telling ya now, this stuff tastes like shit. But it'll help, and give ya an energy boost."

Yuffie received the vial, and used her teeth to remove the tiny cork. Instantly the smell hit her nose, it smelled awful and she gagged. But the ninja pinched her nose and knocked back the vial, trying to not let it hit her tongue too much. She continued to dry-retch after she swallowed, and Tara pat her on the back a few times.

"Attagirl, Yuffie. Just take a couple deep breaths."

Yuffie did as instructed, then felt that a surge of electricity had shot from her legs to her shoulders, and she stood up with renewed vigor, "Good to go, doc! Let's kick some ass!"

They then climbed back out of the vehicle, and back into action. Yuffie jumped off the truck and landed in front of a militant, "Surprise!" She yelled, throwing her tiny fist out and landing on his throat, then twisted and booted him in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground. Those martial arts lessons Tifa had at least TRIED to teach her seemed to be paying off! From the surrounding shrubbery, four large men shuffled out, each one carrying a small blade of some sort. Yuffie hesitated, but felt another surge of energy, and her heart-beat increased. She turned to see Tara using a support materia, as a small wispy wave of green energy was coming from her hand, into Yuffie's body.

Now fearless, the ninja dove at the men. One had attempted to swing his blade, but Yuffie spun her large weapon around to catch the other, only to raise her foot and kick him directly in the groin. She jumped back as another swung a large wooden plank where her head used to be, laughing all the while. Using her left hand, she quickly removed two small knives from her belt, and flicked them at that man. The knives found their mark, and he fell over, a third quickly running up behind that one. The ninja back-stepped a few times, using her large shuriken to block his blows. Finally, mid-swing, the man paused, standing there for a moment as if to try and ponder what just happened. He then slowly fell over, and was gone forever. She stood there a second, confused, as to how the man had died. There were no bullet holes, no knives, not even a gash or drop of blood. Yuffie hadn't even seen the fourth man sneak up on her, blade at the ready.

"Yuffie! Look out!"

Yuffie turned just in time to be sprayed with a small amount of blood, as the man stood there with a bullet hole in his head. Once he fell, Tara stood there, the still smoking pistol in her hands. She winked at the younger woman, "Now we're even."

However, there was no time to savor the victory. Suddenly, a pair of men descended on Tara, knocking her to the ground and the three began to trade blows. On instinct, Yuffie reared her weapon back to lop it at the new foes. Before she could release it, a body suddenly struck her from her left, a pair of arms binding her arms to her chest. They rolled several times, the dirt and snow flying in the woman's eyes. Suddenly, the stranger leaped off of her, Yuffie quickly finding her weapon and looking around for the person that struck her.

"Good evening, my lady!" It was Tormuj, bowing to her in his usual fashion. "This one has been watching you fight all through the battle. This one is most impressed, and it appears we share similar fighting styles!"

Yuffie took a step back, holding her weapon with a tighter grip, "Who the hell are you, freak?!"

The bronze-skinned man grinned, almost childishly. "This one's...associates call him Tormuj, my lady," And drew the two daggers, twirling both around in his palm for a few seconds, "And things are about to become very interesting!"

Yuffie blinked, "Wha...what are you talking about, weird-o!?" Something about this guy put her off.

"My master has another surprise up his sleeve. Until then, care to dance?" And then mock-bowed, like a gentleman asking a formal lady to a slow-dance.

Yuffie cringed, wondering for just a moment what happened to Tara, and hoped that she was okay. Then charged the leather-clad enemy, twirling her own weapon as she went.

* * *

><p>Cloud continued to trade blows with the gargantuan man, though nothing seemed to be working. He was surprised when he attempted to knock away the large pipe with his blade, but the man was clearly stronger than he looked. The only thing Cloud succeeded in doing was knocking the blow to the ground, and quickly jumping away.<p>

Hammerhand grunted in annoyance, and stepped toward the smaller warrior, each step causing the ground to slightly tremble. Around him, the militia and WRO alike swiftly moved out of the way. Those that failed to move in time were swatted to the side, like an insect.

Cloud grimaced, and leapt into the air, intending to lodge the smaller weapon into this... thing. The enemy simply swung his own weapon to parry the block, using his free hand to try and reach out to grab him. The blonde noticed this and quickly ducked out of the way. Hammerhand made another annoyed sound, and simply tried to flatten his opponent. Cloud stepped to the side, quickly stabbing the largest blade through the palm and anchoring it to the dirt. He then ran up the arm and onto the shoulder, again ducking as the free hand tried to grab him. Once he reached the top, he gripped the smaller blade with both hands, brought it overhead, and swung downward, intending to split the mutant's head in two.

The blade struck the helmet with an awful 'KRRRRRANG!' sound, and the shockwave surged up Cloud's arms, which in turn began to shake violently. The blow hadn't even left a scratch on the helmet.

The mutant then quickly wrapped its giant meaty fist around Cloud, and threw him off to the side. He managed to remove his other hand from the ground, ripping out the sword still lodged in it without so much as a sound. Cloud looked up just in time to shimmy backwards on the dirt, the blade striking the dirt, mere inches from his pelvis, and quivered violently.

"...If that had found its mark Tifa would have been very pissed off at you!" Cloud yelled as he shot up and retrieved the sword. Around him, a few soldiers, even some of the militants, began to laugh.

The large man stepped in front of Cloud, his huge fists balled at his sides. He attempted to speak, but it sounded more like a choked, gargled noise "C...Cloowwd...diiiiiie..." Then jumped forward. This caught Cloud off guard, as he was surprisingly agile for his size. When a hand reached out to him, Cloud slashed at it to drive it off. He quickly noted that this creature's skin was like reinforced leather, and was nearly impossible to cut.

Then everything seemed to suddenly halt. From the direction of the fort, came sounds of 'fa-fwoom, fa-fwoom, fa-fwoom" over and over. To Cloud it sounded like...catapults? His hairs suddenly stood on end, and Cloud jumped backwards. Not a moment later, a large, square steel cage struck the ground where he stood just moments ago. Inside this cage, was a feral monster. Ironically, a large warg, similar to the ones he battled some months ago outside of the slum church. He looked all around him, still hearing 'fa-fwoom, fa-fwoom, fa-fwoom" and all around the battlefield, similar cages with different monsters struck the dirt.

"What in the..." Cloud muttered, but then a faint 'beep' was heard, and the square cages all disassembled. The warg, now realizing it was free, turned to Cloud and growled menacingly. Just before it lunged for the kill, Hammerhand appeared behind it, snatching it backward by its tail. Using his other hand, he twisted the beast's neck, before ripping the head from the body and throwing the carnage down on the ground.

"C...lowwwwd..." he gargled again.

The blond slid the smaller blade into the larger, locking the two together, before drawing the third from his back, "I've faced bigger than you. It's not too late to run, you know."

The sound that came from beneath the helmet was a sort of gargled laugh, as though the person was somehow laughing underwater. The creature then pointed a large finger directly at the blonde and said, "Yooouuu...diiiiieee..."

Cloud soared through the air, intending on finishing the mutant once and for all, but again the foe was quicker than he appeared. Cloud felt a fist catch him mid-flight, and quickly began to squeeze as hard as the creature could.

"Diiiiie...noooow..."

Just before Cloud lost conscious, six loud gunshots rang out, and Cloud was thrown a few feet backward. Looking up, there were six black splotches on the mutant's chest, and small trickles of blood seeped from the wounds. Vincent was standing just off to the side, already reloading his own weapon. Forcing his adrenaline back up, Cloud darted off to his right, but angled his path in a half-circular motion. He approached from Hammerhand's left, who had since fell down to his knees. Before he got there, Cloud's feet again left the earth, his main sword glowing with a faint blew energy. With all the strength he had left, and swinging harder than he ever had before, Cloud swiped the blade across the mutant's throat, creating a small surge of blood, and the foe in turn slowly falling backwards with a violent, ground shaking 'boom!'

After, Cloud went to stand straight, but his strength suddenly left him, and he fell down to one knee. He then heard a crunch of snow, and looked up, expecting to be staring down a gun barrel. Instead, a leather-clad hand reached out toward him.

"You've fought larger things," Vincent echoed Cloud's earlier words to the mutant, "If you'd like to sit down and take a break, just say so."

Cloud grinned, stabbing the smaller weapon into the dirt, then accepted the offered hand, the other male pulling him back to his feet.

"Our enemies are more clever than they appear," Vincent continued to speak, looking around at the battle. Right then, none seemed concerned with the two of them, "But they've taken a second gamble."

Cloud attached the third blade to the main one, creating a still larger sword, "What do you mean?"

"Just look around."

The released monsters had indeed added further havoc to the battle. However, they were not privy to either side. They tore into both the WRO, as well the Brotherhood.

"The fight doesn't go well for us," Vincent said again, "Reeve claimed to be sending reinforcements... but where are they?"

* * *

><p>"Yo, Rude! You seeing this shit!?"<p>

The remaining two copters continued soaring back and forth, focused more on avoiding being brought down than mounting an offensive. But then steel cages began to fall from the sky, releasing varying types of monsters into the fray. Rude sat in the copilot seat, grimacing.

"This isn't good, partner." The bald Turk replied.

Tseng's voice then came over the radio, "We still have a job to do, and with Lysa temporarily out of the picture, we can't fail here. Focus all fire on the beasts."

Reno grunted, and replied, "Boss-man I think this hurricane's losing its power! I dunno about you, but we're almost spent up on ammo!"

There was a pause, as Tseng ran a quick check of his own craft's remaining firepower. He winced, then replied, "As am I. But every single rocket, every bullet can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Make every last one count, Reno."

* * *

><p>The area was suddenly filled with thick smog as Yuffie threw down a smoke grenade, back-stepping as fast as she could. She had the foresight not to turn her back to where her foe once stood, as he suddenly came flying through the smoke, weapons drawn. Yuffie raised her weapon to block the double-swipe, straining against the man's strength. He appeared to be frail, and was not much bigger than her, but the force he now used to push down on her seemed to contradict that. As quick as she could, she reached down for a small knife, then lunged to the right. Her plan was that the man would stumble forward, and as she turned could catch him in the neck with the smaller weapon. However, Tormuj swung one dagger to catch a point of the shuriken between two of its 'teeth', thus forcing Yuffie to the ground as well.<p>

They both quickly regained their feet, when suddenly one of the steel cages struck just twenty feet away from them. Inside was what appeared to be a type of gorilla, though it had fangs and claws, like that of a bear, and bulging red eyes. Instantly, it was shrieking and pounding on the steel around it, wanting to be free.

Tormuj now had a look of pure glee on his face, "Ah ha! And here is this one's master's surprise..."

Yuffie kept her guard up, her eyes shooting between the caged monster, and the man, "Don't tell me that whacko poser has been building up a secret zoo this whole time!"

The man laughed, more gleefully than Yuffie thought was normal, "That is exactly what he has been doing, my lady. And now he shall use them to win the day!"

Then the cage beeped, and the entire structure fell apart. Being as the cage was slightly closer to Tormuj, the crazed beast decided that he was the easier prey, and lunged for a kill swipe. Tormuj in turn jumped away, but quickly jabbed a dart coated with a paralysis poison, into its arm. Yuffie noted that the look in the man's eyes was that of total shock, thinking that the beasts were meant to attack the Brotherhood's foes, not the Brotherhood themselves.

Tormuj wondered then if his leader knew that this would happen.

Yuffie hesitated in striking down her foe, thinking that maybe this was a good opportunity. If he was shocked that his own master's pets attacked him, he might be persuaded into switching teams! Around her, she saw that more monsters were added to the fight, and they too attacked whomever was closest. Nodding, Yuffie charged across the field. Tormuj raised his weapons in defense, and was then shocked when she darted right past him, cartwheeled, and slashed at the gorilla-fiend with her weapon.

Tormuj himself wasted no time, running over, jumping up, and plunging both daggers into the beast's back. This, however, only seemed to anger the fiend, as it roared an ear-splitting sound of rage, turning and backhanding Tormuj and sending him back first into a snow-bank. It then turned to Yuffie, and rapidly beat its chest as a challenge, roaring yet again. Yuffie mimicked the monster's chest-beating, and yelled as loud as she could, then threw out the shuriken. The fiend raised its claw to deflect it, but the weapon twirled past it. Now thinking its prey was helpless, it charged across the snow to the ninja, fangs bared, eyes blazing. The shuriken then suddenly came whipping back, slicing the monster from tail to head, Yuffie catching it. She then stood there, as the beast continued to charge, but then suddenly fell forward, limp, and sliding face-first, stopping a few feet in front of the ninja.

Tormuj suddenly appeared, removing the two daggers still lodged in the beast's back, and drove one into its skull, to finish it off for good. Yuffie stared hard at the man, wondering what he would do next. He surprised her by nodding slowly, she in turn nodding back, thinking her brilliant plan had worked.

But in that moment, he lopped one of the daggers right at her. Completely caught off guard, Yuffie tried to raise her weapon to guard herself. The dagger, however, whittled right past her head, and she heard an agonized cry of pain behind her. She whirled around to see her friend, Tara, a drawn pistol in her right hand, aimed directly at Tormuj, and a bloody knife in her left hand. But the previously thrown dagger that nearly missed Yuffie was now embedded in the center of Tara's chest, blood already coating her white combat gear.

"Tara! No!" But before Yuffie could take a single step, she felt a sudden sharp pain at the base of her spine. Crying out, she reached back and yanked from her flesh a small, one inch blade, coated in her own blood. Instantly, her vision began to flush, and everything became a blur. The last thing she remembered seeing was the hazy vision of Tormuj, standing over Tara, now sitting on her knees as the snow continued to fall around them.

* * *

><p>Reno maneuvered the craft and attempted to line a perfect shot up with one of the many monsters that now ravaged the battlefield. He mashed down on a red button, launching a missile out at a morbid plant monster, that was using its vine like tentacles to pick up and throw other soldiers. The shot was dead on, and even from the air both Turks could ear the dying shrieks of the monster as it burst into flame.<p>

He then turned over his shoulder, "How many party favors you got left, partner!?"

Rude, who had again taken up point near the open hatch of the helicopter, shook his head, hoisting the bazooka over his shoulder. "...only one left."

"Well make sure it counts!"

The redhead then steered towards the Fort itself, thinking there would be mostly enemy soldiers and very few of their own WRO soldiers. "Right! One more blast from Hurricane Shinra! Let 'er rip buddy!"

Rude nodded, taking aim at a cluster of what he assumed to be foes. It was too dark to really distinguish, and sweat beaded on his brow. While he understood it was necessary to do the job they were tasked to do, the unnecessary killing of innocents caused his stomach to twist in a hard knot. Taking a deep breath, then exhaling slowly, he yanked back the trigger.

At that exact moment, an explosion rocked the entire helicopter, and Rude was temporarily deafened. The helicopter also rattled and jerked this way and that, and the bald Turk was thrown toward the back of the plane. He glanced up, easily noting that the emergency lights flashed furiously, the entire craft now lit up by swirling, flashing red and black lights.

"What the hell, Rude! We've been hit!" Reno shouted in a half-panicked voice. The helicopter now seemed to have a mind of its own, spinning around in a slow three-hundred-and-sixty degrees turn, jolting up and down in the air. Reno could now see nothing out of the window, only black smoke, and fire. He quickly yanked down his mic, "Phoenix 3 to base! We've been hit from an unknown projectile! Bird is going down! Repeat, bird is-"

Reno suddenly felt a strong set of arms wrap around his neck and chest, ripping him from his seat. Then there was a flash of white light, an ear-splitting buzz...and then darkness.

* * *

><p>Back on the ground, Cloud and Vincent had since split up, in order to concentrate on taking out more foes. The blonde stabbed his blade into the dirt and ducked behind it, as a hail of gunfire exploded around him. After it subsided, he lunged forward, the three part Fusion Sword in tow, and with one swipe eliminated the four men who had fired upon him. Another came upon his left, a dagger raised for the killing blow. Cloud simply took him by the throat, jerked him upward and then slammed him back to the ground, connecting the toe of his boot to his face, to knock him out.<p>

A loud explosion caught Cloud off guard, and he looked up to see one of the helicopters suddenly burst into flames. The front of the bird was completely concealed by black smoke, and the tail was awash in raging flames. Right then, everything seemed to be at a stand-still. He heard nothing, and could only watch as the helicopter slowly twisted and spun, before striking the ground outside of the actual battle, the resulting explosion and noise only causing his heart to sink more. He then wondered how the rest of his friends fared, as now it appeared that the Turks were now gone forever. Where was Tifa? His mood and adrenaline lowered so much, that he didn't even notice, or hear, the loud and constant 'thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!" just behind him.

Cloud was forced back from his stupor when a large force closed around his entire body, forcing him to drop his weapon, and be yanked into the air. A second later, Cloud was staring at an already too familiar foe.

Hammerhand.

Cloud was held so close to the monster's helmet, that he could actually see his eyes, almost the size of dinner plates, and the tiny black pupils the size of a single gil in comparison. The bleach white eyes were also raked with red veins, and the smell of the monster's breath nearly made Cloud vomit.

"Yoooou...diiiiiie...nooooowwww..." The always gargled, booming voice spoke from beneath the helmet.

Vincent suddenly leaped over an oncoming foe, and emptied his entire barrel into the mutant's stomach, but Hammerhand did little more than flinch, seemingly not even feeling the bullets. Instead, he focused all of his rage on the blonde in his hand, slowly squeezing tighter, and tighter. Vincent, in desperation, reloaded his weapon but dived forward, extending the claws of his gauntlet and sinking them deep into the mutant's knee, but still that seemed to do nothing but fuel its rage to squeeze the blonde in it's hand to a bloody pulp. Cloud could no longer breath, and his face quickly turned from blue, to purple, though still fought with all his might to free himself.

"Let go of him, you bastard!" A female voice yelled louder than even the still-ringing gunfire.

Tifa dropped from the sky, as if from nowhere, and quickly wrapped her legs around the beast's neck, using all of her arm strength to try and pry the helmet off. Temporarily forgetting about Cloud, Hammerhand dropped the blonde and instead tried to pry the new enemy from his head. Tifa in turn back flipped away to safety, and Vincent used the opportunity to unleash six blasts directly at the enemy's head. However, the bullets simply clanged and bounced near harmlessly off of the helmet, though he did stumble back and tried to shake off the impact. Tifa ran up again, spiked knuckles extended, and punched as hard as she could at the creature's stomach, lurching away, then doing the same thing on it's big toe. This in turn caused Hammerhand to stumble even further backwards, gurgling and moaning in obvious pain.

Then before Vincent or Tifa could resume the onslaught, Cloud zipped through the air like a missile, his blade aimed above his head, and directly at Hammerhand. The blade found its mark, burying itself into the stomach, and jutting out the back. Not pausing to catch his breath, Cloud attempted to drive the sword upward, to cleave the monster in half, but it was no use. He noted that his enemy's veins surged and throbbed violently. He tried a final time, and when it still didn't work, formulated a separate plan. Instead, he ripped the blade to the left, and this time the weapon gave way, ripping through flesh and revealing the innards of the creature, including parts of its rib cage. The sudden rotting smell caused all in the vicinity to draw back, and blood poured from the fresh wound. Hammerhand continued to gurgle in pain, using both hands to clutch its wound, and fled, trampling all in his way.

Before Cloud could register what had happened, Tifa was on him in an instant, arms wrapped tight, lips pushed hard against his own. The fact they were both covered in blood and gore meant nothing right then.

"Looks like you saved me for once. I thought you were supposed to be the damsel in distress?" Cloud said with a smirk.

Tifa smiled, "Well..."

Before she could continue, a helicopter flew over head, its outward speakers blaring an obnoxious warning siren. Then, Tseng's voice followed as the siren cut, "All WRO personnel, command has issued a full retreat! Again, full retreat! Leave the vehicles and run, damn it!"

Then all gunfire suddenly stopped, and all of the militia simply held their weapons in the air and cheered obnoxiously, while all WRO soldiers turned northward, and fled, following the path of the sole remaining helicopter. Tifa and Cloud quickly exchanged a look with Vincent, and they too followed the flow of the retreating survivors. Vincent, however, suddenly reached out and grabbed Cloud's arm and yanked him back, the latter regarding the marksman with a strange look.

"...we are missing someone." Vincent muttered.

Cloud shook his head, "Yuffie? She's fine I'm sure, probably on the other side of the field somewhere."

Cloud's other arm was grabbed by Tifa, who yelled, "Come on, let's go!"

As the three turned and fled, however, Tifa paused, catching something out of the corner of her eye. She turned, and saw Reij standing there; she knew right then he was looking right at her, and locked eyes with him. He blew a kiss, and Tifa saw him mouth the sentence, "I'll get ya next time, whore."

She took a step toward him, but a passing WRO soldier grabbed her by the arm, and coaxed her into following the rest of them.

Out in the distance, an approaching line of allied soldiers and two more helicopters barreled towards the fleeing survivors in order to secure a safe evacuation.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Back in Edge, Rufus was sitting in the main command center, the noise of beeping, buzzing, and typing never seemed to stop. He constantly stared at a large, black screen, which had been the main information hub regarding the battle. But once the enemy had apparently detonated an EMP, thus knocking out all electronics and communications, the screen was now useless. Another set of speakers sounded off the communications between the Turks, and Rufus had gradually balled his fist tighter, and tighter.<p>

"_Yo! Who's bright idea was it to attack at night knowing damn well its harder to see!"_

"_All of the men and women down there knew exactly what they were getting into. There will always be casualties of war, and sometimes they're accidental and caused by friendly fire. Do your jobs."_

"_Phoenix Brigade 2 to base! Our rotor's been hit and its hard to maintain altitude!"_

"_Phoenix 3 to base! We've been hit from an unknown projectile! Bird is going down! Repeat, bird is-"_

The voices continued to swirl in the man's mind, and found that he was unable to sit still in his own chair, constantly shifting back and forth, unable to find a comfortable position. He tried to train in his ear to separate parts of the room, to gather what information he could. While his right fist was clenched so tight his veins nearly popped, the left hand was a constant prop for his chin.

Then he heard it, and zeroed in on it instantly.

"Phoenix 1 to base, Phoenix 3 is down, and we're completely drained of ammo." Tseng's voice came over the intercom.

Rufus then heard Reeve's voice, "Permission granted to return, Phoenix 1. What about the battle on the ground?"

Tseng instantly responded, "Not good, command. The enemy has unleashed monsters into the battle. Even from here it looks like we're losing."

If it were possible for Rufus to clench his fist any tighter, that is what he attempted to do.

Reeve's voice again sounded over the intercom, "Too many have died already. Get every one the hell out of there, Tseng. Issue a full-retreat command, now! Reinforcements are nearly there, but they've been instructed to provide evac instead of retaliation. You yourself are free to return here."

Rufus had been sitting in the command room since the army first moved out, and barely said more than maybe twenty words. Most of the commanders, operators, scientists, and the like simply ignored him, save a courteous nod when they passed. He was known for being the silent watcher, the ultimate enigma, the main player in a battle of good versus evil. Silent, until right then.

"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!" Rufus' voice suddenly pierced the silence, the former president smashing his right fist into the table, completely destroying a phone receiver and rendering it to plastic splinters.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you got your things together, hope you are quite prepared to die. Looks like we're in for nasty weather, one eye is taken for an eye. <strong>


	15. Eye for an Eye

**-Chapter 15-**

**Eye for an Eye**

_Masquerading as a man with a reason, my charade is the event of the season. And if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know_

_On a stormy sea of moving emotion, tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean. I set a course for winds of fortune, but I hear the voices say:_

_Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more_

* * *

><p>Tifa couldn't hold herself up anymore, and allowed herself to fall down onto her knees, exhausted from the chaotic battle and from having run so hard, and so far. Around her, military personal and medical officers herded injured soldiers into hummers and vans. Further ahead, the two helicopters had landed and the severely injured were being loaded into them for quick transport back home. Her ears still rung from the constant gunfire and the explosions, and she looked down at her hands to try and focus her attention elsewhere. The spiked knuckles were covered in blood, and other unmentionable things, and this in turn caused the woman to shudder in disgust. Never did she think that she was capable of such... "barbarism" was the only word she could think of. Killing monsters was one thing... even then, Tifa could still hear, and even feel, the act of breaking a man's neck. This caused her to turn her head, and empty the contents of her stomach upon the ground.<p>

Just as she wiped the bile from her mouth, she felt a strong pair of hands grasp her arms, and hoist her up.

"Cloud..."

She allowed herself to lean against the figure, and was surprised when she felt a gun holster pressing against her. She turned around.

Vincent nodded at her, "I could convince the WRO to let you ride in the helicopter."

But Tifa shook her head, "No... there are people that are way worse than me." She then realized she was still leaning on the gunmen, and shuffled away, though her knees instantly began to tremble. "Sorry, Vincent."

Before she collapsed again, Vincent caught her, slinging one of her arms over his shoulders. "You don't need to be here, come." And began to lead her to a nearby van. Tifa nodded and slowly walked along, grateful for the help.

Fort Condor was still well in sight of the evacuation point, and several armed hummers had created a blockade between the survivors, and the fort. Even over the clamor of painful shouts and helicopter rotors, and emergency sirens, gunfire could still be heard from the south. The militants had set out to either recapture or put down the crazed monsters they unleashed. But also to make sure all WRO corpses were, in fact, corpses.

"Thank you, Vincent," Tifa said softly, as the marksman aided her into the van and into a seat. Nodding slowly, Vincent turned and began to walk away, but Tifa's voice stopped him, "Vincent... who was piloting that helicopter that went down?"

Vincent didn't even turn around, instead continued to stare past the military blockade at the ominous Fort Condor, right then a symbol of death and carnage. "The female Turk, Lysa, fled to safety after her craft was attacked. And you heard Tseng's voice calling for full retreat." Here he finally turned, staring hard at the woman with his trademark stare, "Think about it."

The fist fighter's eyes widened, stifling a gasp behind a palm, "Reno and Rude...?"

"They knew just like the rest of us the danger they were faced with," Vincent continued to stare hard at Tifa, almost seeming to chastise her with his eyes, for feeling pity for the two Turks, "Although..."

"What is it, Vincent?"

Shifting his gaze left, and then right, Vincent stepped closer, and spoke in a hushed tone, "The explosion came from within the craft, meaning that something from within caused it to fall from the sky."

Here, Tifa raised an eyebrow, "Foul play, you think?"

Vincent seemed to shrug, "Too soon to tell."

"Still... they're both dead. How can you act so cold and uncaring?"

"Hmph... someone else asked me the same thing once. It's just how I am... sorry." Again Vincent turned away, but continued to speak, "All may not be lost."

"What do you mean?"

"Someone claimed to see two dark figures being ejected from the helicopter mere moments before it crashed." He shook his head, "Of course, that doesn't mean they're alive, and the dark forms could very well have been debris... I'm interested in talking to this person."

Tifa dropped her head, no longer wishing to think about it. A medic walked up and placed a warm blanket over her shoulders to protect against the snow. She accepted it with a small smile, and pulled it tight around her. "Hey... where is Cloud?"

Vincent then turned to face her, then pointed with his gauntlet to the other side of the van. Tifa turned and looked out the opposite window, just in time to see the Fenrir zoom away, leaving behind a cloud of snow in its wake. Instantly, Tifa shot up and ran towards the direction he was leaving, "Cloud! Wait!"

She was stopped by a pair of heavily armed soldiers. When she opened her mouth to protest, Vincent was again at her side, pulling her back.

"Vincent, let me go!" But he kept a firm grip on her arm, though making point not to squeeze too hard,

"Let him be for a time, Tifa. Cloud has to deal with this in his own way."

Tifa finally freed herself from the man's grip, turning to look at him with a questioning, and also frustrated look, "But I want to help him!"

Vincent did not even blink, again shaking his head, "There are more important things to worry about, Tifa. I have an idea of where Cloud is going."

"Where?" She asked, stepping closer, and intending to wring it out of him, if need be.

But Vincent changed the subject, "Yuffie is missing. She didn't make it to this checkpoint."

Instantly, Tifa's heart fell down into her stomach, and sorrow threatened to overtake her.

* * *

><p><strong>~' ' ' [VII] ' ' '~<strong>

* * *

><p>The landscape blew by him at a rapid rate, his entire body still reeling from the fighting that only ended mere minutes ago. Cloud once again pushed the Fenrir as fast as it would go. During the frenzied fleeing, he had the foresight to locate the motorbike, and attempted to turn it over. In refusing to leave it behind for the Brotherhood to steal, it was a good judgment call. Though it took a few tries, the engine finally rumbled to life, and off he went. As he rumbled toward the evac point, something snapped in his head, and instead he veered northwest, towards the Midgar ruins. Something was pulling him there, some unknown force, or desire.<p>

His jacket, still tattered and ripped from the fighting, finally gave way and blew off of his body, vanishing behind him into the snow. Cloud payed no mind to it, nor of the cold wind that blew past his body. Right then, he felt it was the least of his problems.

He roared through the outskirts of the ruins, blowing past a convoy of WRO soldiers who quickly moved out of the way as he passed. The entire ride, all he could see before him was death, carnage, and blood... so much blood. He thought back, to some of his earlier nightmares. Of napalm burned bodies being devoured by wild monsters. He wondered then if this was a sort of premonition, a sort of vision revealing the approaching future? And worst of all... was Sephiroth behind it?

He rumbled up to the slum church, but found that the entrance was guarded by two WRO soldiers, both of whom immediately stood upright, holding their guns down, but close.

"Mr. Strife! No one is allowed inside!" One of the soldiers called.

Cloud shut off the bike, and clambered off, walking menacingly toward the front door. His arms, face, clothes, and sword were still coated in blood, and not all of it had dried just yet. The soldiers had a slight look of fear in their eyes as the blonde drew closer.

"Get out of my way," He simply stated, reaching over his right shoulder and drawing the large sword out.

One of the soldiers started to raise his gun, but quickly stepped aside, the other following suit. Cloud shuffled past them, stabbing the weapon into the floor, before turning and slamming the double doors shut. Once he secured the door with the weapon, to ensure no one would enter, he turned and started further inward.

The place didn't look at all different from the last time he stepped in here. The flowers still bloomed, and the water still sparkled brilliantly. As Cloud stepped closer, however, something caught his eye. There, at the edge of the hole filled with water, was a single gil. Raising an eyebrow, he bent down and picked it up, examining it for a moment. His mind flashed back to his last visit, in which he dropped the coin into the pool, then plucked a nearby flower. As a sort of remembrance for his and Aerith's first meeting on the streets of Midgar. He thought for a moment, surely this couldn't be the same one? A coincidence, maybe?

He shrugged, and took another step, glancing down at his own reflection in the pool of water. Not entirely thinking, he dropped the coin into the water, the resounding 'sploosh' a pleasant sound. The impact rippled the water, and as the water returned to normal, Cloud's reflection was instead replaced by Sephiroth.

Cloud jerked back as the apparition rose from the water, and took two steps onto the wood. But something wasn't right, the footsteps produced no sound.

"_Your constant shock is more amusing than you can imagine,"_ Sephiroth said with a chuckle, _"Did you honestly expect anything other than me to be here?"_

Cloud quickly turned around and ran for the door, hoping to retrieve his weapon to defend himself. Before he got there, a black mist shot around his body, and Sephiroth was formed from it.

"_Don't be so hasty, Cloud. Unfortunately, I cannot harm you here,"_ The silver-haired menace then thrust his right hand out, intending to take the blonde by the throat, but instead the hand passed harmlessly through his neck.

Cloud's mind was then rattled even moreso than before, all he could blurt out right then was, "Where is Aerith?"

But Sephiroth chuckled again, _"Somewhere where you cannot reach her. __Oh, and..." _Here he paused, turning to glance at the Fusion Sword, holding the doors shut,_ "I wouldn't be so eager to call for help. Only you can see me."_

"Why? What the hell is going on?"

"_My mother's cells still flow through your bloodstream, Cloud. Don't you see? Clearly we were meant to do this forever."_

Cloud turned away, and walked back towards the pool. Sephiroth stepped from behind a felled column in front of the blonde, arms folded over his chest.

"Who is this militia leader anyway?"

The Sephiroth apparition raised an eyebrow, _"Oh-ho, here is a day I expect you'd never thought to happen. When you ask ME for help?"_

Cloud balled his fists tightly, "Just answer the damn question."

"_Hmph. How would I know? But if you're asking if he has mother's cells inside of him... he does not."_

"And how would you know?" Cloud echoed Sephiroth's question.

The other scoffed, _"Call it intuition. I can feel you, Cloud, just as I could feel the Remnants. With this man... there is nothing. He is another bag of meat, albeit a crafty one..."_

Cloud looked up from the floor, and noted that Sephiroth now stood on one of the overhead rafters, pacing back and fourth. The outstretched black wing was an ominous sight, his gut reaction was to leap, and attack. Instead, he stood there, watching as snow flakes fell slowly from the hole in the roof, around the illusion.

"Apparently he believes he really is another Remnant. Why?"

"_Why don't you ask him yourself? Assuming you aren't planning on running again."_

Cloud clenched his fists, "Are you a part of this? Is he following your orders somehow?"

Sephiroth now laughed, loudly, the sound echoing around the entire church. His form materialized into a dark mist, which in turn suddenly shot down to reform the menace directly in front of Cloud. _"Do you honestly think I would waste my time on a pretender? __It would be far easier to destroy everything, and every one, that you love on my own."_

"Maybe this is your idea of a backup plan. Since you can't physically return, you're using a puppet of your own."

"_You all believed I would never return a mere two years ago. Don't be so hasty into thinking history won't repeat itself, in a sense. I **will **return, and whatever happiness is left of you, will be mine."_

The blonde turned away in disgust, turning and walking halfway toward the exit, and began to call, "Aerith! Where are you!"

"_There is the old Cloud I remember, still clinging to the ghosts of your past. The fact I'm here before you is proof enough of that!"_

Cloud ignored him, circling the entire church and calling her name over and over again. Then from the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of light. It rose up, a swirling tendril of green, and attempted to wisp toward him. However, Sephiroth suddenly appeared in a burst of the dark mist and black feathers, clutching a fist around the 'head' of the energy tendril. It in turn began to convulse, and seemed to begin whimpering in pain.

"_You are powerless to save him. Begone." _And threw the green energy back into the pool from whence it came.

Cloud, in a rage, dove for the other man, but of course passed through him, landing on his stomach with a 'thud.' Sephiroth's laughter followed,

"_How quickly the puppet forgets."_

Cloud finally had enough, and stood up, again heading for the door and walking through the Sephiroth apparition. Removing his weapon, he returned it to it's holster, and pulled one of the doors open. After stepping out, he turned to pull it shut, and Sephiroth was standing right there, not even a step away.

"_I'll be seeing you very soon, Cloud... in your dreams."_

Then the door shut with a clang, and he returned to the Fenrir, zooming away as quickly as he had come.

* * *

><p>A little later, Cloud used his key to unlock the door to the Seventh Heaven, pushing it slowly open, stepping in and shutting the door behind him. As the locks re-clicked, darkness and silence fell over the entire space. He listened for a moment, and, after checking each room to confirm he was alone, walked up the stairs to his personal office. Shutting that door, he fell into his chair, heaving a sigh.<p>

And he sat there for at least an hour, a maelstrom of thoughts and decisions raging in his head. Could Sephiroth be telling the truth; that this militia leader really was just a demented terrorist, not under the control of the former Great General? But then, why would he choose JENOVA's own head as his personal war banner? Why, what, and how could he truly believe in his black heart that he was another Remnant? And most importantly, now that the WRO had lost the initial battle, what was going to happen now? Would they come to Edge next?

His cell phone had been ringing off the hook for the entire duration of his brooding. He simply sat it on his desk, and allowed it to ring, if only to be grateful for the noise. The caller ID was always different, though the same numbers always showed. Tifa. Tifa. Barret. Tifa. Reeve. Vincent. Blocked number. Tifa. Blocked number. Reeve. Barret. Tifa. Blocked number. Finally, Tifa's number came up again, and he flipped the phone open and held it to his ear. He didn't even have a chance to open his mouth to speak.

"Cloud, where in the hell are you?"

Cloud sighed, using his free hand to rub his temples. "I'm back home, Tifa. You don't have to worry,"

Tifa's voice now carried an edge to it, "And where did you go? You just left us all out in the field. What would have you done if the Brotherhood decided to attack us!?"

"I don't know, Tifa. I just... wasn't thinking right. I'm still not. It's why I'm sitting in the dark by myself."

"You still haven't answered my question, Cloud. Where did you go?"

Now he cringed, but decided he could no longer lie. "I went back to the slum church. Thought it'd be a good place to clear my head. Turns out it wasn't, and so here I am." He paused, idly shifting through some paperwork but not really paying any attention to it. "Are you all okay?"

There was no response on the other end. Cloud quickly grew suspicious, "Tifa?"

Silence.

"Tifa, what the hell?"

"Yuffie didn't make it to the evac point. She's officially declared MIA."

Cloud shot up from his chair, causing it to wheel backwards and hit the wall, "What? How?"

"How should I know, Cloud!? She's just gone! On top of all of that, Reno and Rude are probably dead, too! What if Yuffie is too!? We can't go anywhere near the battle sight, none of Reeve's men are telling us anything, and..." She trailed off, as she had since broken out into tears.

Cloud fell backward, hitting the floor with a thump, and instantly mentally broke down himself. He was the one who had assumed their companion was fine, and insisted on retreating. What if he had stayed behind? If the girl was indeed gone, at least they would know of it.

"What about collecting our dead?" He finally said in a hushed tone.

Tifa blew up again, "I don't know, Cloud! I don't know anything!"

He then sat there, as the female continued to rant without so much as taking a breath. Finally, he could stand it no more and slowly closed the phone, still staring blankly at the wall across from him. It couldn't be true, Yuffie still had to be alive. If the WRO declared her missing, not killed, there was still hope that she was alive. Maybe she panicked, and fled the battle and would walk through the downstairs door in a couple of days. He reached up onto his desk, and pulled down a photograph; specifically the group shot of all their friends. His gaze lingered on the still-image of the ninja, the trademark, childish and obnoxious grin on her face.

"You can't be dead. Whatever it takes... I'll bring you back to us," He spoke aloud, placing the picture back on his desk.

But exactly how he was going to accomplish that... he did not know right then.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' '~<strong>

* * *

><p>Shortly after the full retreat order was given, Rufus had stormed out and retreated to his own office. Slamming the doors shut behind him, he then walked over to his desk and, using his walking cane, knocked the contents of his desk into the floor, shattering the lamp and scattering a stack of paperwork. Glancing up, he again saw the photo of himself two years ago, that he had previously shot at pre-battle. In a fit of rage he walked over, swinging the cane as though it were a club. The sound of glass shattering pierced the silence, and the man continued to swing his cane, knocking down several photos and painting and other such things from the walls. Before much longer, the entire office looked as though the battle had taken place inside. Glass shards and broken frames littered the floor, and there were several holes in the wall from the aforementioned cane. Not even the desk had been spared, Rufus unleashing all of his frustration and rage on the solid wood. After caving in the desk in several spots, the grip of the cane snapped, and flew through the air before hitting the wall with a solid sound.<p>

Unable to take it anymore, Rufus collapsed into his high-backed office chair, heaving a sigh. His face was red, and his eyes were bloodshot. Outside the large window to the right, the sun was beginning to rise, the sky a lovely smattering of orange, purple, and red. Normally it would be a sign of hope, or of good things to come in time. The man paid no mind to it, it right then being more a symbol of a bloody, failed coup, and instead buried his face into his hands.

'I never should have underestimated this madman...' He thought to himself, propping his elbows on the desk and leaning forward.

It had of course been Reeve who first brought the notion to not send the full force of their assault, lest the battle go awry and Edge left defenseless. But he quickly shook off the notion that it was Reeve's fault; he was just as responsible.

_"You want to know what I honestly think, Rufus? That you've buried your old mentality, your father's mentality, somewhere deep inside of your mind and you slowly begin to bring it back to light." _

Reeve's earlier accusation, after the attack on Tifa's bar, suddenly played again in his head, and he cringed, his stomach curdling. Could it really be true? That maybe he was somehow reverting to his old ways? He had thought not, that he was truly doing what HE believed to be best for the city, and everyone within. Sure, he didn't tell the whole truth, and kept certain information from Cloud, and even from Reeve. But was that really any different from lying? After everything that had happened, every meeting, every late night debate, ever call. What did the man have to show for it?

Two possibly dead Turks, Cloud's friend missing, and nearly half their entire standing army eradicated.

Just then, the doors slowly opened, and Tseng appeared in the doorway, taking two cautious steps inside. Behind him was Lysa; both of them were dirty, bandaged.

"Sir... what happened in here?" Tseng questioned.

"You," Rufus spoke sternly, pointing a finger at the female Turk, "get out. I'll call you if, and when I need you. Tseng, come closer."

After exchanging a look with her superior Turk, the woman nodded and back stepped out the door, gently closing them. Tseng then slowly stepped closer to the desk, each step filling the room with the sound of crunching, breaking glass. The man slowly looked around the entire office, but didn't note any blood of any sort.

"I would tell you to sit, but..." Rufus started, motioning for a wooden chair in the corner, the back of which had been broken off, and one of it's legs missing. He did this with a half-amused chuckle.

"Sir, are you okay? What happened here?"

Rufus snorted, "What do you think happened? I did all of this."

"Sir, let me call..." He began, but halted as the other man suddenly slapped a palm on his desk.

"Stop calling me that, Tseng. At least for just a few minutes." He then looked down into his own lap, deciding how best to word what he wanted to say. He nodded, and stood up, walking slowly to the window, and stood staring. "Forget that you're a Turk and I'm your boss. Let's talk, very simply, as men."

Tseng blinked, unsure of how to respond. He walked over to the window, crossing his arms over his chest, and sighing slightly.

"Talk, Tseng."

The Turk shook his head, looking down at first, then back up and out the window. Focusing on the sunrise, he began, "I got the damage reports back from Reeve not so long ago. We've lost nearly two-thousand men. At least a hundred are in critical condition and won't live to see the next sunrise. Those that have fallen, their blood is still warm and the Brotherhood uses their corpses to feed their wild beasts." He turned and now stared hard at the other man, whom was still looking out the window, "We haven't heard from Barret or Reeve's little toy in over twelve hours. The enemy still has a tight hold on the southern region and our spies can't gather any more information right now. And what was it all for, _Rufus_?"

"Each of the fallen soldiers knew exactly what..."

Tseng cut him off, "They fought for a cause that now seems nothing more than smoke, Rufus," That seemed to catch the other man's attention, who turned to regard the Turk with narrowed eyes, "What do you think this is going to do for morale? What happens if news reaches overseas? People will hear of our defeat and will think joining us would be suicide!"

Rufus then looked away, feeling his anger rise again. "You're right, of course. I made the mistake of thinking this... militia leader was little more than a mercenary, as were his own army. But these men are trained..."

"What should I do now, _sir_?" Tseng replied, switching back to business mode.

"Where is Elena?"

"She's still overseeing the evacuation of the citizens of Edge."

Rufus turned and walked back to his desk, taking a seat and drumming his fingertips together, "Join up with her, see if you can help speed up the process. The less people hear of the outcome, the less likely they're to gossip in the west. In fact... take Lysa with you, have her help too. It's all we can do right now."

"And... Reno and Rude, sir?"

He started to speak, but the double doors again parted, this time in walked Reeve, flanked by two WRO marines.

Rufus scoffed under his breath at the sight of the man entering, "We can only hope our comrades are safe, but for right now we can't do anything to help them. Until we can, make sure those people get out of here safely."

Tseng nodded slowly, turning on one heel and exiting the room, nodding in acknowledgment of Reeve as he passed.

Rufus beckoned the newcomers closer, "Welcome back to paradise, Reeve," he said, mirroring Reno's favorite phrase with extreme sarcasm, "Anything new I should know?"

Like Tseng, Reeve slowly examined the destruction of the office space, though he did not seem entirely surprised. Or if so, he did not show it. "Since three hours ago? Nothing. I'm sure Tseng already filled you in on the carnage."

"Indeed he has. Where does that leave us now?"

Reeve stepped up to the desk, fingering his chin as he tried to remember the exact numbers and statistics, but was unable to. He was tired, frustrated, and saddened at the tremendous loss of life. "It's too soon to determine the exact strength of our remaining numbers. But I can tell you from what Tseng has told me from the actual battle, the odds aren't exactly in our favor."

Rufus snorted, "They never seem to be"

Reeve raised an eyebrow, and when he got a questioning look from the other man, he continued, "What... no 'but we've always prevailed in the past' follow up? I'm surprised."

"I'm not in the mood for your arrogance, Reeve. What about retrieving the fallen from the battlefield?"

But Reeve now wore a more somber look, "Radio attempts to contact the Brotherhood have resulted in nothing but silence. I sent a small computer-controlled vehicle bearing a white flag of surrender toward the Fort. As I understand it, the one called Reij dropped a string of grenades into it. So peaceful negotiations are certainly off the table," The last sentence he said with heavy sarcasm.

Silence hung in the air, the former president still trying to wrap his brain around all that happened, "And still no word on Cloud's friend? The Wutai girl? I'm sure he won't be happy once he hears, if he hasn't already."

The other man looked down, trying to hide his sadness.

"_Obviously don't go sneaking into the fort on your own, even if an opportunity comes up. I've already briefed you before the army moved out. Just... don't get yourself killed, okay?" _

_"Yeah... I would say the same to you, but you know. We're the ones out here sticking our necks out! Don't worry Reeve... I got this! How tough could they be?" _

"...Reeve?"

Reeve shook off the lingering sadness, and pushed it back. "No... nothing. And that's what will drive every one crazy the most. Since we cannot get near the Fort without provoking another firefight... If she IS dead, we won't know for sure. Uncertainty will drive the mind insane."

"More importantly... where does this leave us with Wutai itself?"

"This could only complicate things. Cloud and the other seem to know more about that place and its leader than I do."

Rufus then turned and faced to his left, staring at the wall. There was only silence at first, then, "We need to call a post-mortem war council, and soon. I know everyone is fresh from the battle, but we can't dilly-dally for very long. The longer we wait, the more time we give our enemies to prepare again." Now he faced the WRO founder again, "I especially want Cloud, Tifa, and Valentine there."

Reeve grimaced, "I'll reach out, but... after all of this, I wouldn't blame them for not coming. What's going on in the north?"

"Well, before I decided to destroy my own office, I was going to give them a call. We need their help now, more than ever. I don't suppose you...?"

Before Rufus could finish, a cell phone was shoved into his hand, from one of the marines.

* * *

><p><strong>~' ' '[VII]' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>She was unsure exactly how long she had been unconscious, but it seemed like several days. Her entire body was sore, and her head throbbed to the point it felt like it would pop, like a balloon. She vaguely recalled trying to move her arms and legs, but something was constricting them, preventing them from moving. When she attempted to open her eyes, it was completely dark, but she knew that her arms were stretched out above her head, and her legs were straight out, slightly apart. She tried again to move, but to no avail. She panicked for a moment, then slowed her breathing and tried to collect her thoughts. Wherever she was, surely her comrades were already on their way to save her.<p>

"Ah, good... you're finally awake," A voice stirred in the silence, causing the woman to freeze.

Suddenly, there was a spark, and a flame roared to life in a small torch. She saw the man from the battle, his dark skin and the feathers in his raven hair unmistakable.

"For a while there, I had thought the poison was too fatal. How do you feel?"

The prisoner did not speak, continuing to blink her eyes in order to clear her vision. Everything was still slightly blurry, almost as if a veil had been pulled over her eyes.

Tormuj cocked his head to the side, "I don't recall cutting out your tongue. It's Yuffie, right?"

Yuffie tried yet again to free herself, with obvious results. "How the hell do you know my name? And where am I!?"

The man walked to the side and placed the torch in a nook inside the wall. With the light, Yuffie could tell she was in a small room, two slits in the wall with iron bars, and a single door just behind the man. It looked like a jail cell of sorts, but... not.

"Where you are doesn't matter, and its unfortunate that things turned out this way. As for how I know who you are... well. We know quite a bit about you and your friends."

Then it hit Yuffie, like a slap in the face. The man wasn't talking with his usual accent, and mannerisms. In fact, if she didn't know any better, she would think this an entirely different man. "Hey, you got a twin or something? You aren't talkin' funny like you were before!"

Tormuj smiled a small smile, "I'm a man of many faces, my lady. I'm afraid I can't say more than that. And you would do well to keep that information to yourself, or..." He slowly reached a hand down to draw one of his blades out halfway.

"I thought you were suddenly a good guy. I helped you kill that monster!" Yet again she struggled against her restraints, feeling her anger rising, "And how did you repay me? You killed my friend!"

"You only know what you saw, my lady. And while I am grateful for the assistance, I have a far larger obligation to fill. Besides, you are lucky to be alive right now."

Yuffie then tried to spit at the man, the missile falling just short of its intended target, "You expect me to think you did me a FAVOR? By sticking a needle in my back, killing Tara, and capturing me!? The hell do you guys intend to do!?"

Tormuj folded his arms behind his back, the beads in his hair clinking together, "The silver-haired man intends to torture you, to get more information about the WRO and other such things."

At that moment, a bright white light flicked on overhead, and Yuffie was temporarily blinded. The light shown down on only the table, and the rest of the room was reduced to darkness. It was only then that she noticed the small table just out of her reach. Upon it was an iron tray, and a leather-bag thrown back to reveal what looked like surgical knives, prods, several small tin cups and bowls, and other like things. Yuffie's breath left her, and her heart rate kicked up yet again.

The door slowly swung open as Tormuj extinguished the torch, and Yuffie saw a hooded figure walk in, followed closely by two other men. Yuffie could not put a name to the last two, knowing only they were high ranking soldiers from Reeve's report. And she knew almost instantly that the hooded figure was the head hancho himself.

The young girl's mind couldn't even begin to imagine the horrible things that were about to happen to her.

"This is the one, then?" The hooded figure asked,

"Yes, your grace!" Tormuj said, reverting back to his accents, "The one this one informed you of after the usurpers fled!"

Yuffie began to open her mouth to blurt out he was a fake of some kind, but a quick look from Tormuj and he again grasping his blade, caused her to quickly silence herself.

"Shit, why we wasting our time with this broad? I can already tell she ain't gonna talk! Let's just kill her and send her body back to Rufus!" Reij said with a sneer. He had several gashes in his face, half of which was wrapped in bloody bandages.

"You don't me very well then, Reij," Edward said, stepping up to the table, and slipping on a pair of black latex gloves. The sound of the latex slapping the man's skin was the most terrifying thing in the world right then.

"Ah, yes," The hooded one said with a hint of amusement, "another of your... charms, Mr. Cross." He then turned to Reij, who had a raised eyebrow, and explained, "When ShinRa wanted to get information out of someone and couldn't be bothered to associate the Turks with it, I understand that Mr. Cross is one of the people they volunteered."

"And I was damn good at it," Edward said with a smirk, using the toe of his boot to mash down on a lever. The table began to buzz softly, as it rose slowly up so that it and the floor were now completely perpendicular.

"Bah, still think its a waste of time. Hey, boss-man! How's about instead you let me and my boys... 'interrogate' her, know what I mean? We'll treat her good! Hah!" Reij spoke up, looking at the young woman with a hunger in his eyes that she knew wasn't good.

But the hooded man shoved the man backward, and turned to regard him in a voice Yuffie couldn't hear, "You had your chance with the Lockhart girl, you fool. If you're so desperate for gash, perhaps you should have spared some of those female WRO soldiers?"

Wasting no time, Edward picked up a small knife, and stood in front of Yuffie, holding it menacingly in front of her face, and spoke, "Now, as those Turks liked to say, we can do this easy... or we can do it real easy. What exactly is Rufus planning on doing next?"

Yuffie clamped her lips tightly together, and only stared the man down, before spitting directly into his eye.

"Oh-ho! The girl has spirit... but unfortunately that isn't going to save your skin now. Mr. Cross, proceed."

"Gladly." Edward then pinched together a hunk of flesh from her arm, and began to slice into the skin. A trickle of blood began to seep from the wound, Edward turning the blade and making a sizable V cut, peeling back the flap of skin. A moment later, he reached over and grabbed a small shaker, packing the wound with a clump of salt. Yuffie, unable to take it anymore, screamed at the top of her lungs, the sound filling the room and spilling out into the hallway.

"I'm not even getting warmed up, little girl." Edward said with a menacing undertone. This time, he picked up what appeared to be an oversized, thick needle. He jammed this into the salt-packed wound, causing another scream from the girl. He ejected it, walked to her opposite side, and simply jammed it into her opposite arm, leaving it in there and a dash of salt quickly following. Back at the table, he picked up what looked like a pocket knife, but unfolding the blade, revealed it to be a straight razor.

"Your grace..." Tormuj leaned forward and whispered, so only the leader could hear him, "Do you intend to kill her?"

"Stop!" The hooded one suddenly shouted, and even Reij jarred slightly. The leader turned to face the dark skinned man, throwing back his hood.

"You are concerned for her safety, Tormuj? It's almost touching, in a way. But why? Why does her life matter to you?"

Tormuj looked at Yuffie, she looking back at him, and begging, "Please... just make it stop."

"Her life means nothing to this one, your grace. But how do we know she even knows anything?"

"Because Edward's little rat told him that she was promoted as their head intelligence officer," Reij said, "Not a very good intelligence officer if she don't know shit!"

The silver-haired man narrowed his eyes, then slowly smirked. "Perhaps another loyalty test is needed. Edward! Give our foreign friend here the straight razor."

Edward in turn reached out, handing the unfolded blade to Tormuj, the latter staring down at the weapon before slowly accepting it. The handle was slightly bloody from Edward's gloves. Tormuj looked back to the leader, before taking Edward's place in front of Yuffie.

By now, tears were welling up in the corner of her eyes, "Don't do this... I know you're a good person deep down..."

For several long seconds, nothing happened. There was no sound, save for Yuffie's pleading whimpers.

"If indeed he is, then he has much to answer for," The leader said, narrowing his eyes again at Tormuj.

Not a moment later, the foreigner stepped forward. He stood close to her now, their faces barely an inch apart. She couldn't tell right then, but somewhere in his eyes, he showed the slightest big of regret. He placed his left hand on her shoulder and, using the straight razor, quickly sliced down the front of her vest. The fabric gave way easily under the blade, parting down the middle to reveal her bra. Instantly, the whimpers grew louder, and tears flowed freely down her eyes. Slowly, he worked the blunt end of the knife around and even slightly under the fabric of the bra, before withdrawing, placing his back to the girl. For just a moment, she thought it was over.

Tormuj then quickly turned and swiped the blade across the girl's mid-section, just below her breasts. The cut was clean, but not deep enough to be fatal, and blood now trickled down her stomach and staining her pant bottoms. "PLEASE! PLEASE! I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING I SWEAR! PLEASE STOP!" She screamed as loud as she could, fighting with all her might to free herself from the bands holding her down.

Edward, after a nod from the leader, walked up behind the table, a smaller razor head in hand. He in turn began making small incisions on the webs of her fingers, on her right hand. Tormuj had since dropped the straight razor, instead picking what appeared to be a small leather cylinder, three leather chords hanging to the side. This thing, looking like a bracelet or a bangle, was placed on Yuffie's left hand, Tormuj yanking back on the three chords. Instantly the device tightened around her hand, crushing her fingers and twisting her wrist into an awkward position. The device continued to have a death grip on her hand, until Tormuj noted her fingers were quickly turning blue. Only then did he release the device, and allowed blood to flow back to her hand. It was easy to note that two of her fingers were now broken. The entire time, both the leader and Reij had been chuckling, as though they were watching something truly entertaining.

"Right, I see you both have this under control." The leader said, throwing the hood back over his head and concealing his silver hair. "Report back to me when she finally cracks. Come, Reij. I have another task for you."

The two then exited, slamming the iron door shut behind them. All throughout the compound, the tortured screams of the young ninja continued.


	16. Trump Cards

**-Chapter 16-**

**Trump Cards**

_I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moment's gone. All_

_my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity._

_Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind. Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea. Al we do crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see. Dust in the wind... all we are is dust in the wind._

_Now don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky. It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy. Dust in the wind._

* * *

><p>The population of Costa del Sol had swelled nearly fifty percent, something that normally the local venders and shop keepers would be grateful for. However, many of those people had come not for the luxury of getting away from day to day life. But rather, to investigate the war propaganda that seemed to spill out of the city every day. All of the people had heard of the Fort Condor siege, and that the keep was now held by a raging lunatic. Stories of a man and a mysterious toy gathering recruits for the WRO war machine traveled far and wide, and people came to find any truth to the rumors. Reeve had sent a small detachment of WRO marines to the port, to act not only as peacekeepers, but to also question and "interview" the new recruits. The port to the city, once filled with exotic ships and a favorite hub for the local fishermen, was now quarantined off by military brigades, and the only ships that entered and exited the port, were those of the WRO.<p>

Barret had been sitting on the couch, thumbing through a file on the table in front of him. It was the information packet, on all of the Brotherhood key members that Reeve sent some time ago. For some reason, Barret became fascinated with it, and studied it at least once a day. He often pictured any one of these goons being the ones who attacked Tifa's bar, and nearly harmed the children. The fantasy of ripping their heads clean off was one he enjoyed very much.

The children were sitting at the table by the front door, writing letters back home. They had done this since day one, but Barret didn't have the heart to tell the children the truth. That all outbound mail was detained, examined, and if not deemed "important," was burned. Barret instead had to read the letters beforehand,-to make sure they spelled everything right, he told the children—and call the intended recipient and read it word for word. He understood the reasons for detaining mail; Rufus and the WRO thinking a potential security risk, as the Brotherhood could have moles anywhere and everywhere. But in his heart, still thought it wasn't entirely right. The kids had no idea what was going on!

"Daddy, daddy! I finished another letter to Yuffie!" The little girl said, hopping onto the couch and sitting next to him.

"That's great, baby! Let's read it!" And took the letter from her.

She had wrote that she missed the ninja very much and hoped that everyone back home was okay. She then scribbled in much smaller font, as though keeping a secret, that Denzel had admitted to having a crush on the ninja. But "to not tell anyone, okay!?" Barret smiled at that, though it still pained him to read it, knowing that the actual letter would never arrive.

"Did I do a good job!?" Marlene asked excitedly.

"Yup! Everything looks good here! I guess you got my brains after all, eh kiddo!" And ruffled the girl's hair with his left hand.

The little girl giggled, taking the letter and eagerly stuffing it into an already signed envelope. "Daddy, I wanna talk to Tifa!"

Before Barret could reach into his pocket to retrieve the phone, it started to ring. He pulled it out, to show Tifa's number on the caller ID. "Speak of the devil..." He muttered, then answered the call, "Yo, Tifa! Been a minute! What's up!?" At the mention of the woman's name, Marlene's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Barret, I gotta tell you something. It's really important," Barret noted that she sounded tired, and deathly serious.

"Hold up, Marlene wants to talk to ya," He said, and handed the little girl the phone.

She accepted it gladly, "Hi, Tifa! Is everyone okay?"

On the other end, the woman had to force herself to sound happy, "Everyone is great, Marlene. Are you having fun with Denzel and daddy?"

Marlene nodded, "Yup! But I wish you and Cloud and Yuffie could come and visit! I found you a pretty souvenir, but its a surprise!"

Tifa giggled, "I can't wait to see it. Tell Denzel I said hi. And mind your father, okay?"

"Yes ma'am! Bye Tifa!" And handed the phone back to Barret.

"Yo, Tifa? Hang on one sec." Barret then turned and started for the stairs, "Hey, kids. Lock the front door and stay down here, okay? I gotta talk to Tifa about grown-up stuff." When the children nodded in acknowledgment, he started up the stairs, turned to the left, and into his temporary bedroom, shutting the door firmly. "A'ight, what's going on, Tifa?"

She sighed, "I wasn't sure that I should even tell you this, me and Cloud talked about it forever. He brought up when he didn't tell you about the militia and..." She continued to go on.

"Tifa, spit it out, man! Yer' startin' to scare the hell out of me!"

She sighed yet again, "Yuffie... is gone."

Downstairs, Marlene and Denzel heard Barret's voice, "**WHAT! WHAT DO YOU MEAN**?"

"When Reeve and Tseng called for a full retreat, reinforcements came to secure an evacuation. We all got separated from one another, but then I found Vincent and Cloud... Yuffie never made it to the evac station. She's GONE, Barret. We don't know if she's alive or dead." Toward the end, her voice began to break.

"**DAMN, MAN!**" Barret yelled, slamming his metal fist into the nearby table, caving it in and producing a loud noise. He continued to seethe and started to punch out the window, but quickly stopped himself and tried to keep his anger in check. The children were, after all, right down the stairs.

"The entire south region is on lock-down, and Rufus and Reeve haven't called another meeting yet," Tifa tried to choke back the tears, "Barret, it was awful... so much death, I've done things I've never had to and... oh god... I can still feel their necks breaking."

"Tifa, calm down, girl. You had to do what ya had to do! What about Spikey and vampire man?" The latter being a reference to Vincent.

Tifa took a deep breath, finding her focus, "Cloud and Vincent are okay... but Cloud said he went to the slum church after the battle."

"Do I gotta come down there and stick my whole arm up his ass and make him come home?"

He heard her giggle, but it was very brief, and even sounded forced. "No, he's back home. He was actually here before I came back. Vincent is in the wind somewhere, but promised to come back. What's going on up there?"

"Not a thing at the moment. Ain't heard from Cait in a minute. WRO's got nearly the whole port sectioned off. Was just about to head back out to try and give another lovely speech."

"From what I understand people keep coming to Costa del Sol just to see the crazy black man giving speeches. Sounds like you should get an award for your people skills, Barret!"

He laughed at that, and for just a moment all bad feelings were gone, "Yeah, maybe! I should have my own TV show or somethin'!" He caught his breath, then sobered back up, "But... what about Yuffie?"

There wasn't a reply at first, and the question hung in the air. Then, "Cloud seems determined that, if Reeve won't solve the problem, he's going to take matters into his own hands."

Barret raised an eyebrow, "What, like capture and interrogation again? Because that worked out so well last time!"

The man didn't see it, though he sensed it, but Tifa winced on the other end of the phone. "Shit... I didn't mean it like that... sorry, Tifa."

"It's fine, Barret," She responded immediately. "I don't know exactly what he's planning. I guess for now we're just waiting to hear more news."

"How bad we talkin' here?"

"All commerce and trade from the south has been cut off and turned away. No goods of any form are accepted for obvious reasons. I think Reeve mentioned that Junon has been established as a counter point for the militia. What military isn't in Costa del Sol or here in the city, is gathering there."

He scoffed, "And the pissing contest continues! Yo, if you guys decide to play capture the terrorist again, gimme a call! I'll come and help! Besides... I've been getting' restless here, now more than ever! You guys are over there fightin' and I'm playin' messenger boy!"

"We do miss having you around, Barret. Maybe I can talk Reeve into letting you come back."

"Yeah, you do that!" Barret then heard a knock on his bedroom door. Denzel had said someone was at the front door and asked to see him. "Tifa? Gotta go. But I'm serious! If things get real bad, just get me the hell out of here! And let me know if something else happens."

"I will, Barret. Talk to you later."

"Later, chick!" And hung up the phone, opening the bedroom door and heading down the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>For the longest time, Yuffie kept her head hung low, eyes closed, and tried to make her entire body go numb. Her throat was now dry from the constant screaming and crying, her head now hurt twice as much as it had before. In fact... nearly every other part of her body had hurt as well. A million thoughts ran through her mind, and that's what drove her the most crazy. She didn't know what was going on outside, what happened to any of her friends. Did the Brotherhood win? Though surely since she was here, that was the obvious choice of victor. And where exactly was she? Save locked in a cell in a compound somewhere, that is all she knew, as her captors obviously were mum on the subject. Slowly, she allowed her eyes to open, to stare at her near-naked upper body, the trails of blood that still stained her skin and her bottoms. But then blinked a few times to clear her vision. The slice across her stomach...<p>

It had been stitched, patched, and bandaged.

That was when she felt something on her right hand, and slowly looked up. Tormuj stood there, staring at her with those deep green eyes, and she flinched away, mentally bracing herself for another knife, needle, or harsh word. Instead, she felt... a soft bristle brush, dabbing in between her fingers. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

The man then walked over to a small tray in the corner, and poured a liquid into a wooden cup. Yuffie quickly realized she was still strapped down, and so Tormuj offered the cup towards her lips, and she shook her head. Poison, maybe, or worse.

But he chuckled, "It's only water, girl," And slowly poured a tiny amount on the floor in front of her. When he tried to offer again, she still refused, still fearing poison.

"Superstitious, and yet still defiant. I can admire that in a woman. Most people would take whatever was offered in a cup, poison or not." He said with a chuckle, and downed the entire cup, then made a satisfied sound, "See, harmless. Still no?"

Yuffie thought long and hard, though it didn't long before she was furiously nodding her head with what strength she still had. Tormuj poured another cup, she tilting her head back and allowing him to pour the water into her mouth. As soon as she swallowed, she began to choke furiously, her captor patting her on the back.

"Not so fast there, my lady. Drink it slowly; its not going to jump out of the cup and flee."

She nodded, and again tilted her head back. She drank it more slowly; it had a slight iron-y taste to it, but was still delicious, and she made her own satisfied sound. Tormuj nodded, picking up a small brush and a wooden bowl, then continuing to run the brush on and around her fingers.

For a long time, Yuffie said nothing, thinking it would probably be pointless anyway. Then her curiosity outweighed her stubbornness. "I don't understand."

The man didn't even look down from his work, "What is there to not understand? You are here, and so am I."

"No, I mean..." She hesitated, still uncertain, then, "You guys torture me and now you're patching me up? What the hell!"

The response didn't come right away, "The silver-haired man wants to keep you alive for further interrogation, of course. Since I was once a medicine man, I've been assigned to keep you alive."

"And yet you're still going to torture me after,"

"You have an uncanny knack for stating the obvious, my lady."

"And that's what I don't understand!" Yuffie fought to resist, but she noticed that nearly all of the pain in her right arm and leg was slowly beginning to disappear. So she relented, allowing him to do his work. "How can you slice someone open and then give them medicine after? Who the hell does that?"

"This one does," He replied, for just a moment switching back to his fake accent.

Yuffie now looked away, a new wave of frustration washing over her. She decided to hell with it, and didn't say another word. The silence carried on for several long minutes, as Tormuj now moved to her left hand. He started to use a wet cloth, to wipe the blood from her arm, but then noticed her pinky and ring finger were twisted into an awkward angle.

"Two of your fingers are broken, Yuffie,"

"Yeah, no thanks to you! Idiot!"

The man thought for a moment, "I need to push them back. Otherwise you may never use them again."

This had struck her as odd. Why did he honestly even care? "Not like a got much of a choice, seeing as I'm, you know, CHAINED DOWN here!"

Tormuj then slowly placed the rag on a second table just behind him, his left fingers gingerly wrapping around her wrist. His right hand moved into the appropriate positions, so as to bend and force the bones back into place, to grow back properly. The pressure was light as first, but still painful, but Yuffie refused to cry out and give this man the satisfaction of hearing her scream. One finger snapped and popped loudly, she gritting her teeth as hard as she could, and instead allowing more tears to roll down her cheek. Her chest heaved, she trying to contain her cries. Then the second finger cracked, and Yuffie felt a whole new wave of pain rack her body; for a moment she was unsure if the cracking sound was her finger, or her teeth. Such as how hard she gnashed them together. Finally, the pain overtook her and she cried out, but quickly silenced herself and instead breathed in and out, trying to focus her mind elsewhere.

He then stepped away, and retrieved the rag. Instead of going back to cleaning her, however, he placed the cold cloth to her head. The moisture was refreshing on her hot and sweaty forehead.

"It would be much easier if you just told them, Yuffie." His voice broke her from her trance.

"How can I tell someone what I don't know, huh? How am I supposed to know what Rufus is gonna do next? How the hell am I supposed to know exactly what weapons and artillery are left?" She managed to choke out, between frenzied gasps and pants.

Tormuj paused, and now locked eyes with the girl, "Are you sure about that?"

Yuffie returned the stare, and though her eyes carried a rage and certainty like never before, another tear managed to escape her eye, "I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Tormuj or... whatever the crap your name is!"

The man narrowed his eyes, as a realization was made. Instead of saying what he wanted to, he turned and resuming cleaning her arms and hands, "I believe you."

"Then let me go!"

He shook his head, "Not my decision to make. Though I wish it were not true... but you may very well be here for a while yet."

What little hope the girl had instantly went out the window, as if she decided right then and there that she was going to die here. It was merely a matter of time. "Well if I'm going to just die anyway... I'd at least like to die more comfortably than this!" And she shook her wrists and ankles, emphasizing the table she was strapped to.

He nodded again, "Perhaps I can pull a string or two..." and now started to slowly clean the blood from her sides, stomach, and around her hips with a new rag.

"Hey, hands off, psycho! I'm not some piece of meat for you men to play with!" And tried to wiggle away from him.

Now he stared hard at the girl, "I am not a barbarian such as Reij, or even Edward. You have no fear of such actions from me,"

Yuffie scoffed, "Why you even bothering? Soon as you and the other psycho come back and cut me all up, I'll be nice and bloody again. Just how you guys like it!"

Then he paused, but continued to stare at her stomach, the hand holding the cloth having paused exactly where it was in that moment. Now Yuffie started to grow fearful again. But he locked eyes with her again, and spoke in a somber, whispered tone. She almost didn't hear him.

"Maybe it's a friendly gesture of sorts."

Even as he said this, he used to foot to press down on a lever out of sight of her. This in turn caused the table to slowly lean backward, until Yuffie was flat on her back once again. She was glad for that, as it took the strain off her already injured wrists.

"If you expect me to forgive you, then you're more whack-o than I thought. You're a really weird dude. You bipolar or something?"

Tormuj scoffed, and quickly finished up his work, disposing of the bloody rags into a separate bowl, "I'm afraid I have no idea what that means, my lady, this...bye pooler word you speak of? But suffice to say, I am doing what is necessary for my own survival. Perhaps you should consider doing the same."

Yuffie blinked several times, trying to understand exactly what he was getting at, "What, like... lie?"

She saw him shake his head in the faint light, "Lying could be the most disastrous thing you could do. You must learn to play the game, girl. You should assume that, no matter what you tell, it will be looked into. And that you may never leave this place. That you will be subjected to the worst possible torture, and... uncouth acts as possible."

"If that's the case, you might as well jam one of those pretty knives into me right now, and put me out of my misery!"

Tormuj chuckled, but not menacingly, "As much as I enjoy our little chats, I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere. Just think about what I said." He then turned and started for the door, opening it and taking a step outside into the hall.

"Hey, wait!" She called a final time. "Why are you helping me?"

The man paused, poking his head around the corner of the door, and flashing a sly smile that made Yuffie shiver; it was the same look he wore on the battlefield. "Take it as you wish, but this one is merely playing the cards this one was dealt, as it were!" He replied in the false accent, before the door slammed shut behind him, and Yuffie was left in near darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Later on, Tormuj had rounded a corner and continued to walk up the winding dirt path, leading further up the fort to his intended location. All around him, the surviving militia continued to cheer and celebrate, many of them still sporting overflowing mugs full of brown beer and other such things. One soldier was so intoxicated he threw himself at Tormuj, putting an arm around him and congratulating him on a battle well fought. The man's breath caused the foreigner to wretch, and Tormuj shoved him backward, back into his seat, while returning the compliments of his "fearsome and heroic skills" and "you should be promoted to captain, sir!" The other man could do nothing but laugh and agree, rather loudly, while his friends joined in the praise. Rolling his eyes, Tormuj continued on his way. Not all were celebrating, as many had been tasked with tasks such as restocking ammo, body counting, gun cleaning, damage reports, and mechanic work on the vehicles. Promptly following the victory, their leader had ordered all vehicles be retrieved, save for those of the WRO; those he ordered to simply break down on the spot and scrap them for parts.<p>

Despite the tasks at hand, it did not stop some of the soldiers from celebrating; many of them had sneaked some whiskey or beer into flasks which they kept hidden at their belt. "To hell with that egotistical maniac! I was on the front lines and I'm still here, so I deserves a pick me up!" Many of them would say. Tormuj had insisted that all work crews stay sober, but many of them only saw him as a foreigner, one who didn't even deserve to be a lieutenant in the militia. So they continued to drink, and several mistakes were made. Such as one man, who was so intoxicated that he hadn't completed his tasks on repairing a military vehicle. This in turn would cause the vehicle to start up, but promptly break down after, fuel to spew from its gas line, and eventually erupt in flames. It's a mistake the man would later pay with his life.

Tormuj rounded yet another corner, and stepped up toward the main fortification, where the leader and the others congregated and discussed future plans and the like. He spotted a figure just outside the main gate, but this figure was more easily to spot than all the others scurrying in and out of the place. Because it was so large.

"Hail, master Hammerhand!" He called from a distance, and picked up his pace just a bit. As he drew closer, he noticed Edward was standing to the mutant's right, working a bandage around his ribs, "This one wished to congratulate! You fought well!" And bowed.

Hammerhand did little more than nod in acknowledgment, gurgling softly.

"Good thing he's pumped so full of genetic mutations from all those years ago, or he'd surely be dead," Edward commented, finishing wrapping the bandages, "Thankfully, I think Meteor itself is the only thing that could kill ya, big guy!"

The mutant looked down at the man, "Clowwwwd... failed..."

"Fear not, master Hammerhand!" Tormuj piped in, "You could not have done much with sir Strife's lady attacking you as she did. Live to fight another day, yes?"

Edward spoke next, "We'll get 'em next time, big guy. Yeah?"

Hammerhand only nodded, slowly standing. The fact that his side was still partially ripped open didn't seem to phase him.

"Sir Edward, if you don't mind this one asking... what is your relationship with master Hammerhand here?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, "Long story, afraid you wouldn't get it. Let's just say we've been looking out for each other for a long time."

Just then, another unnamed soldier came sprinting from the fort, "Apologies General Cross, lieutenant. Boss man is calling a meeting. Wants you all there," He then turned and looked up at Hammerhand, "You too, um... um..." He was unsure how to proceed, and the mutant shuffled angrily, causing the smaller man to step back in fear.

"It's fine, big guy," Edward said, then turned to the soldier, "We're on our way. Back to work with you, son."

"Aye, sir!" The man then saluted, and off he ran.

"No rest for the wicked, eh comrades?" Tormuj said with a chuckle, then followed the other two through the gate.

* * *

><p>The trio entered through a set of double doors, then turned down an adjacent hallway to the left, though the entire time Hammerhand had to bow slightly forward, as he was taller than the hallway itself. As they passed by armed men, they saluted the three of them, always keeping their guns close. Finally, they turned down a second hallway, and stepped up to yet another set of double doors, with two heavily armed men posted outside. In sight of the three approaching men, the two soldiers quickly reached over and parted the doors. Tormuj and Edward stepped through, but Hammerhand could not fit. Instead, he had to kneel down to one knee, and peer inside.<p>

The leader found this quite amusing, "Apologies... Hammerhand, is it? Had I known you'd become such a valuable member of the... team, I would seek larger accommodations. How do you feel?"

The gurgled response followed immediately, "R...readyyy...fiiiight...t..."

"Very good! Oh, and gentlemen?" The silver-haired haired one spoke to the two guards outside, "You are dismissed. I'm sure our gargantuan friend here is plenty security for the moment."

After those two left, the leader sat down onto a high-backed wooden chair, pulling towards him a wooden cup and metal vase. "I believe now is good a time as any to discuss the after-effects of the battle,"

Reij suddenly stepped forward from the shadows, "What after-effect? We won and they didn't!"

Edward stepped closer, "Indeed, sir. The WRO didn't even make it to the fort! If the reports are to be believed, they lost more men than we did."

Now Tormuj, "While this one does not doubt your expert opinion, sir Cross... this one believes the losses were roughly the same on both sides. However, the usurpers are crushed and driven back to their home! Victory belongs to the Brotherhood this day, as this one knew it would!"

"Deeeeaaath... too...oo...enemy..." Hammerhand's voice came from the door.

Unable to take it anymore, the leader slammed both fists into the table, "Enough! All of you!"" And swiftly stood up from his seat, folding his arms behind his back, "We've managed to drive the WRO back for now, yes. Victory is indeed ours, and as I've been made aware by Reij here, many of the men are still celebrating. Something I don't entirely approve of, but they waited some time for the bloodshed. They will have their victory tonight,"

"However," He continued, "what you all apparently fail to realize is this was a close victory... Edward, I'm sure you have more sense than you currently let on. Would you care to elaborate?"

Edward cleared his throat, "Too close of a victory, actually. In fact, many of my personal men seem to think if we hadn't had the forethought to begin capturing wild monsters for use in the fight, it might have gone more poorly for us."

A crunching sound caused all to turn to the cause of the noise, and Reij was casually chewing on an apple, "Yeah, all the good that did us. Fuckin' beasts attacked us too! Didn't think that one too clearly, did'ja boss?"

Tormuj remembered the crazed gorilla fiend that had attacked him, the one Yuffie helped him defeat. He began to open his mouth, but the leader spoke first, and he silenced himself.

"Use your heads you idiots! Did you really think it was possible to tame wild monsters? Besides... as Edward just said, if it weren't for them, we would have lost more men. Edward, what's the update on those monsters?"

"Many of them could not be contained, and had to be put down."

"And the other?"

Edward thought for a moment, "Only classes two and three. Class one, however..."

The leader cut him off, "Very good. Reij, where do we stand on remaining firepower?"

Reij casually took another bite of the apple as he also thought, "Not lookin' so good. Hand grenades and overall ammo is down forty-five percent. The heavy shit, RPG's, .50 cal, down damn near sixty percent. Bunch of idiots wasted them trying to shoot down those damn helicopters. As for the Geo-Leviathan... still only three shells, as you ordered."

The leader shook his head, averting his gaze to the floor as he pondered, "What do you suggest we do? Are we going to assault our enemies with broken bottles, rocks, and harsh language?"

Nothing was said as Reij locked eyes with the leader, taking a third, slower bite of the fruit in his hand, then slowly smirked, "I got my boys looting the dead WRO soldiers and even checking the vehicles after they're broken down. Nabbing all the extra weapons, too."

"Scavenging, then?" The leader said, slowly rubbing his chin, "Not the reputation I wanted us to have, but..."

Edward stepped still closer, "If need be, I'll arrange a team of men to try and raid WRO supply trains. Though I'm sure after the battle, they will be more heavily guarded than before."

"Do what needs be done, both of you. But Mr. Cross, I suggest you use your wits. What is the sense in losing fifty men for twenty pounds of ammo? Tormuj!"

The man stepped forward, "Your grace?"

"Where do we stand on the Wutai girl? Has she cracked yet?"

Now even Edward turned to gaze upon the man, who, despite his newfound nervousness, did not break eye contact with the leader, "It appears she is made of stronger stuff than we first thought. She still insists that she knows nothing."

"And do you believe her, Tormuj?"

"This one does believe her, your grace. This one saw it in her eyes..."

Silence fell over the room, the silver-haired man standing up again, turning and began to pace to the right, and then to the left.

"Clearly, neither of you are doing a good enough job," He finally said, looking first at Edward, then to Tormuj, his gaze lingering on the foreigner, "You clearly harbor some sort of sympathy for this girl, despite what you claim. Whatever the reason for that is, I don't care. The only reason you are not having your throat slit is because you are indeed a valuable asset to this war effort. Perhaps you are more forgiving than the rest of this lot?" He shrugged, and turned away, pondering.

"Right then," He again spoke, "Edward. Double the efforts. I would really prefer the girl to not die... however, if she just so happens to wish she WERE dead..."

Edward grinned, already planning exactly how he was going to carry out his master's dark orders, "If she knows anything, she'll spit it out before the new moon. Shall I start right away?"

"Yes you shall. And Tormuj, you shall help him, just as before."

Tormuj inwardly winced, "This one is to torture her, and then heal her your grace?"

Now he was met with a stern, menacing glare, "Are you questioning me now, foreigner? Because I'm starting to question your loyalty!"

At that, both Edward and Reij stepped closer to the man, hands on their respective weapons. Tormuj eyeballed the both of them, and while it would be all too easy to kill them both where they stood... he simply smiled, and bowed forward, "This one assures your grace he has always been forever loyal to the Brotherhood, and to the Planet!" He stood straight again, and quickly formulated a convincing lie, at least... he had hoped it was convincing enough to keep his throat from harm. "The girl simply reminds this one of a past romance with a girl... but never again shall fickle things impair this one's judgment! Glory to the Brotherhood!"

The leader seemed satisfied with that, and nodded his approval, waving a dismissive hand, "Then make sure she talks, both of you."

After those two had left, Reij had dismissed himself, leaving Hammerhand still kneeling in the doorway. "Whaat...nexxxt...?" He growled.

The other man turned to the mutant, his face emotionless. "My large friend, I can tell you this. We are not going to stop with this broken down fortress. Come tomorrow... we plan our next move."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>The heavy silence was suddenly pierced by the sound of old, rusty hinges creaking, the double doors parting to let in a stream of sunlight. Cloud stepped slowly into the church, keeping on high alert from an attack. He had hoped, this time, to find what he was looking for, as the last venture here hadn't yielded very positive results. <em>

_And when he looked up, there she was. Standing on the edge of the hole in the center of the space, chestnut brown hair still tied in a long ponytail, stopping just past the small of her back. The pink ribbon in her hair stood out the most, knowing that it had to be her. Still suspecting a trap, the male pulled his weapon free, though kept it held down at his side, and stepped forward, slowly. With each step, his heavy boots thudded loudly, and the noise echoed before fading into nothing._

"_Aerith?" He said softly, as he got closer._

_She turned back to regard him, the usual warm smile on her face seeming to light up the entire room, moreso than it already was, "You came, at last. I was starting to think I would never get through."_

_Now he stopped, just two steps in front of her, "Aerith, what's going on? Sephiroth claims you and Zack are under his control, and..."_

_She took a single step, reaching out to gently touch his lips, in order to silence him, "I know, Cloud. But you can't believe a word of it. Sephiroth is a master of deception. He'll do anything to throw you off of the path."_

_Warmth seemed to wash over his entire body, and he allowed himself a small smile, returning his sword to its sheathe, "You told me not long ago everything was about to change. How did you know?"_

"_The same way I've always helped you, Cloud," She whispered, now reaching out and touching his cheek._

_Cloud flinched away at first, and even took a single step back. But nothing macabre happened, and the woman now had a hurt expression on her face, "I'm not sure if I understand, Aerith."_

_Now she smiled again, "You will, eventually. Until then... you have to stay happy. Live your life with Tifa just like you promised... remember?" Here she held out her hand, fingers uncurling to reveal a single gil. The coin fluttered with a spark of green, and suddenly it became a red rose. "'I'll see you on the other side' is what you had said, I think?" And offered him the flower._

_Slowly, Cloud reached out and accepted it, turning it over in his fingers to examine it, nodding, "Yeah... I did say that. But you don't understand.. it's not so easy. It's not like I ask to have these dreams. Or rather, nightmares."_

_Yet again she stepped forward and touched his face, and this time he allowed it. Her touch was so gentle, so soft, just as she was, "Just remember what Tifa told you. You have to face your problems one at a time."_

_Suddenly, the surrounding windows went black, concealed by a thick black mist, the doors behind the two suddenly slamming shut. Darkness overtook the room, save for a bright green aura, radiating from the flower girl. Cloud then noticed that around them, all of the flowers began to slowly bend, and wilt, the petals curling, and all of them dying. In his hand, the red rose had likewise slowly died, it now nothing but a dried husk of dark brown and black in his hand. _

"_Aerith, what's going on?"_

_The woman smiled, sadly, "He... is coming."_

_Cloud threw himself at her, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her, "Don't worry, I'll protect you! I won't let it happen again."_

_But she drew back, and continued to smile up at him, "You can't help me, Cloud."_

_He grabbed her shoulders, a frantic look in his eyes, "Then tell me. How do I deal with THIS problem? How do I get rid of Sephiroth so I can fulfill my promise?"_

_At that exact moment, a large black angel wing shot out of her shoulder, and her eyes turned a paler green. Her lips moved, but it was the all too familiar voice of Sephiroth, "You cannot." And she shoved him, Cloud in turn barreling backwards and slamming against the doors. He looked up just in time to see Aerith's form wrapped up in black mist, and when it faded, Sephiroth now stood there._

_Cloud could stand it no longer, and charged the enemy, quickly bringing his weapon to bear. A clang of steel, and a flash of silver as sparks flew, the two again pressed against each other, trying to force the other away._

"_Tell me, Cloud. Where is the fire and the passion you fought with not so long ago?"_

_Cloud leaned closer, so their faces were now very close, and he whispered, "I'm saving it for when I know I can kill you, once and for all!" And slashed his sword to the left, in order to knock the Masamune away from him. It worked, and the foe stumbled backwards. Cloud wasted no time and lunged, twirling around and thrusting his weapon straight out. And then he was surprised when he felt the blade cleave flesh and bone, and Sephiroth was now impaled, skewered halfway onto the sword. The blonde in turn lifted the foe straight into the air, and held him there, letting the blood fall from the open wound onto his face and clothes. He then spoke, "That day might just be today, Sephiroth!"_

_Sephiroth, who had appeared meek, defeated, suddenly locked eyes with the other male, and began to cackle maniacally._

"_A fool until the end, Cloud."_

_He then grasped the blade through his midsection with both hands, one on the dull end, one on the sharp. Then he simply pulled in opposite directions, the weapon splintering like wood, and heavy metal shards scattering every which way. The angel wing shot out, and Sephiroth swooped down to take Cloud by the arms and then he shot upward. The two crashed through the roof of the church and continued to go up, up, up, Cloud had struggled to free himself, but to no avail. Still they went straight up, Sephiroth cackling the entire time. Finally he stopped, and all around them, stars twinkled, blinking in and out of existence. Small meteors zipped by them, leaving trails of fire in their wake. And when Cloud looked straight down, he could see the Planet itself._

"_While I enjoy playing this game with you, Cloud," Sephiroth said, "perhaps its time to teach you a lesson in humility."_

_Sephiroth raised his left hand, small tendrils of dark mist swirling out of his fingertips. His fingers then extended into black, six inch talons, which he promptly shoved into Cloud's right chest cavity. Pain overtook the blonde, and for a moment thought he was going to pass out. Even as his foe continued to push and dig further into his body, he focused his rage on him, and for just a moment knew that his eyes had since turned red._

_But Sephiroth still laughed, "How does it feel, knowing you are powerless to stop the one thing you hate most?"_

_Before Cloud could speak, the foe shoved his arm even harder, and his clawed hand now cleaved the back of Cloud's body, sending blood splattering. However, the blood drops and particles merely floated around the two._

_Sephiroth spoke again, "You cannot even stop the pretender and his army of meat. Perhaps you should end it all, Cloud. Join me in the Lifestream, and let us do this forever!"_

_Sephiroth then yanked his entire arm out of the other and, still grasping him tightly, flew upwards, veering to the right and now flying in a full circle. He did this twice more, then shot straight down, back to the Planet. The foe then threw Cloud with his full might towards it, before leveling off and watching him soar down, down, down..._

_All Cloud could hear was his enemy's laughter, and the sound of wind whipping past his ears, violently. He clutched tightly at his wound as he continued to fall, knowing he was unable to stop himself. He plummeted through the atmosphere, whipping past clouds and for just a moment, could see the continent of which Edge and Fort Condor was on. Down, down, down. Then he saw the slum church, and realized his was headed right for it, and threw his arms up to protect his face and neck. However, he looked up at the last moment. Just before he crashed through the roof, Aerith was standing there, reaching out to him with open arms to catch him._

Cloud had been twisting and convulsing violently throughout the entire nightmare, talking aloud in his sleep. He even had rolled over, his hands reaching backward and then held them in front of him, as though he were brandishing his weapon. Then, at the pinnacle of his nightmare, he had suddenly twisted left, and fell of the couch, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

At the contact, he finally awoke, though he instantly shot to his feet, "I'll kill you, Sephiroth!" He had yelled, still thinking he was holding his weapon.

His entire body was, as always, broken out in cold sweat. And, not surprising, he now had a large bruise on the right side of his chest, almost certain he had a matching one on his back, and two red hand prints on his arms. It took him a moment to realize that he was back home, safe, at the Seventh Heaven, and he collapsed flat onto the floor. He struggled to catch his breath, when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs to his left.

"Cloud? Is that you?" Tifa's voice rang in the darkness. Right then, it was the most beautiful sound in the world.

"I'm here, Tifa," He called in a husky voice. The entire downstairs was dark, and only a light from the stairs revealed exactly where he was. Outside, a thunder storm raged on, the rain pelting the roof and windows with a pleasant sound.

"Why are you down here? You were just in bed with me," She commented. Cloud noted she had put on a bath robe.

"Yeah, I... needed some air. Then I wanted to sit down here for a second to get my head straight. Didn't wanna bother ya, Tifa. Guess I fell asleep. Had another nightmare."

Now Tifa sat next to him, "So you have them too? They're getting worse, aren't they?"

Cloud nodded, "Yeah..." But of course he knew, that Tifa had no idea as to what sort of nightmares he was having.

Tifa then slowly traced two fingers over the bruise on his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath it. She indeed had no clue, and merely assumed this wound, and his nightmares, were due to the Fort Condor battle. "Well, come on... let's go back to bed. It's late, and I have an idea Reeve might contact us tomorrow."

Cloud, not feeling like arguing, and wanting to sleep next to the woman he loved, slowly got up, pulling her up with him. Perhaps being next to her would fight off the nightmares, but also knew he would not be sleeping for a while yet, as per usual. But, hand in hand, they walked up the stairs, the sound of a shutting door following not long after.

Back downstairs, a sudden flash of lightening illuminated the room for just a moment, revealing a dark figure in the corner of the room, furthest from the couch and the stairs. The booming of thunder followed, as a pair of eyes narrowed, watching the two forms walk up the stairs. Vincent, who had been there the entire night, watching Cloud, scoffed, before retreating into the back of the building.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Greetings! I realize it's been a long time since I updated, and I'm so sorry for keeping you, the fans, the readers, waiting. Lacking of internet has kept me from updating, though I think all will be pleased on one thing. Since my down time and last update, I've already written no less than the next four chapters. So! Once I'm able to go and leech a local restaurant's WiFi, the updates will continue to come. Don't count me out just yet!


	17. Of Flame & Frost

**-Chapter 17-**

**Of Flame and Frost**

* * *

><p><em>We come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs flow. The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands<em>

_To fight the horde, singing and crying, "Valhalla, I am coming!" On we sweep, with threshing oar, our only goal will be the western shore_

_We come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow. How soft your fields of green can whisper tales of gore. Of how we calmed the tides of war, we are your overlords_

* * *

><p>The freezing, biting wind snapped this way and that, changing directions as frequent as one might blink their own eyes. The gusts were merciless, often throwing a man off balance and, in the case of those of smaller frame, completely knocked them face-first into the snow that coated the ground for hundreds of miles in all directions. The environment was cold, uncaring, and for lack of a better term, brutal.<p>

A hooded man tramped swiftly through the snow, along a 'path' that was created only because of the constant lumbering of feet. Along the so called path, a line of small torches had been placed, every ten feet or so, to keep them on the path. The snow that beat down was so thick and heavy, that most times it was impossible to see more than a few feet, thus the torches lit the way. As for the man himself, he still wasn't happy at all to be condemned in a sense to this frozen hell, but also realized the importance of the situation. Of course, the big cheese's that were funding this little project seemed to be hiding some things, only telling him what he needed to know. And while the news overseas seemed scarce, so long as his checks were being signed, for the moment that is all that mattered.

The man continued to follow the torch light, the path suddenly veering to the left and up a small snowbank. As he got closer, the sounds of drilling and hammering could be heard over the howling winds, and slowly grew louder as he approached. To his left, a large truck rumbled to the south, the opposite direction from which he was walking. And to his right, a similar truck was headed in the same direction as he, followed by another, and then one more. On the backs of them were tightly bundled crates, and the stranger could just make out the WRO symbol on the sides of the three approaching trucks.

"Finally... beginnin' to wonder if they'd ever fuckin' get here!" The man cussed aloud to himself.

Once he reached the top of the snowbank, the area suddenly opened up beneath him. At the bottom of the valley, surrounded entirely by rolling hills, was a large caged off area. Many spotlights illuminated the walled off scene, which included several steel buildings, large construction shops, a helipad landing here and there, and most of all, armed men. Even from this distance, he could hear an announcement over an overhead PA system, and of course the hammering and other types of machinery going off. He stretched his limbs into the sky, inhaling and then exhaling, then started down the long and sloping hill.

At the very base of this hill was a gate, the sole entrance into the compound. The man noted that this gate swiftly parted and allowed the three trucks to enter. He picked up his pace, eager to be back in the workshop and out of the freezing wind. When he neared the bottom, however, a sudden strong gust roared from behind him, catching his cloak in just the right way to send him barreling forward. The man, on instinct, twisted his body before he hit the snow, and he rolled several feet before coming to a rest, just ten feet from the aforementioned gate. Already flustered, the man started to scream and cuss aloud to himself, shooting to his feet and kicking and punching at the snow. Behind the gate were a line of soldiers, who began to chuckle at the sight, but quickly silenced themselves when the hooded man turned to stare at them. The man then stepped up to the gate, swiped a card through a panel, and stepped through once the gate opened.

* * *

><p>A little later, the man had since abandoned his cloak once he entered the warehouse, and was now situated atop a smaller flying craft, using a strange shaped tool to work a screw into place. The air inside the place was still somewhat cool, but much warmer than the air outside. It was something all of the men there had gotten used to, and, to help them further get through it, chose to think it made them that much stronger. And plus, working hard sped up the flow of blood, and thus would keep you warm. So many worked on without complaint, save their pay stubs.<p>

Just then, an ebony-skinned man walked underneath the craft. He had a blade on his left hip, a pistol on his right, his dark hair was as short as could be without revealing his scalp.

"Hey, Luke!" The man atop the craft called, "Gimme that socket laying over there, would'ja!?"

The man called Luke glanced up, before retrieving the requested part, and tossing it up into the air, to be caught by the other, "There ya go, old man!"

"Shut your face, punk!" The other called back with a hint of humor, before returning to his work.

A second man ran up to stand beside Luke, and called up to the man, "Commander Highwind! We've got another ship prepped and ready to fly!"

"So what in the hell are you flapping your gums at me for, huh? Get to work on another! I'll come look at it when I'm done here."

Cid then went back to work, using a dirty rag to dab sweat off his forehead, which in turn caused some of the soot to smudge his skin. If he noticed, he gave no inclination, and continued to work the frustrating screw into place. It had been a long several months, exactly how many of which the man had lost count. He still remembered how it had all happened. There he was, nice and cozy back in Rocket Town, when a pair of WRO suits accosted him, dragging him out of town. Had it not been for Reeve waiting outside the town, Cid very well might have knocked the two suit's heads together and went back to one of his 'days off.'

"_The Turks found out some information about a possible militia group," _Reeve had said,

"_So? What'n the hell does that got to do with me? You're all big boys! Deal with 'em and leave me out of yer' schemin'!" _Cid replied, much to the expectancy of Reeve; he remembered Cid as being stubborn.

It was a constant back and forth argument that ended up dragging on for an entire day and well into the next. Once the reports had come back that their leader was a delusional psychopath, willing to do anything and slaughter anyone who oppressed him, Cid finally agreed to the project. The rest of that day was spent arguing with Shera about his reasons for leaving, much to the dismay of Reeve. Early the next day, Cid had loaded up his airship and directed it north. Seeing the compound for the first time was somewhat impressive, though now he hated everything about it. He was introduced to his own personal team of mechanics, engineers, electricians, and the like, almost all of their names he instantly forgot, save one or two. Like Luke. A good kid he was, late twenties, and surprisingly knowledgeable for his age. From little Cid had seen, he was a good fighter as well. With a final grunt of effort, the annoying screw finally went into place, the man giving the metal a final shake to ensure everything was sturdy. He nodded, before clambering down from the craft and moving a little further down the line.

The inside of the workshop was extremely spacious, able to house at least thirty of the smaller crafts Cid was previously working on (code named "Black Chocobos", mostly for their dark color,) or ten of the larger airships, such as the _Shera_. As he continued to walk, passing by soldiers and other workers, they would nod and murmur greetings of, "Commander Highwind," as he passed. He had to admit, he liked the prestige, like all of this was his. Every man, every tool, every square inch of the walled-off compound was his. He grinned, using his lips to pull a cigarette free of the pack, and lighting it with a small welding torch nearby.

Admittedly, he grew tired of this frozen hell, of the lingering feeling he was essentially a ShinRa lapdog, (he knew the real man funding this whole project was Rufus, of whom he still detested,) and most of all, not knowing what was going on in the south. But it was something that needed be done, and if it meant helping the Planet, as well his friends and innocents, he would bear it until the end.

Cid had no idea of the travesties that had already befallen his friends, and the demons, personal or otherwise, they now faced.

"Hey, old man!" Luke called from the side. Cid scanned the area, then walked over once he located the ebony-skinned man. He was standing underneath the undercarriage of a large airship. Behind him, two other men wielded a large hammer, and swung it upwards. The 'clang! Clang! Clang!' never stopped.

"Call me that one more time punk and you'll be eatin' yer' own teeth!" Cid said, punching the other man in the arm with a laugh, "What is it? Don't tell me these numbskulls don't know what the hell they're doing!"

Luke shook his head with a chuckle, rubbing the spot where the older man had punched him, "No, everything's good here! She'll be ready to fly in no time!" He said, tilting his head back to look up at the airship. It wasn't as large as Cid's own, but still formidable.

Cid likewise looked up at the craft, nodding in approval, "Well, at least I know I can depend on one person in this shithole! Hah!" Then turned and started to walk away.

"Hey, Commander?" Luke stopped him.

Cid turned around, "How many times I gotta tell ya? Don't call me that!"

Luke smirked, idly fidgeting with the sword on his hip, "Do you think all of this'll be worth it in the end?"

Cid raised an eyebrow, "What are you talkin' about?"

Here, the other man raised his arms outward, to emphasize the entire workshop, and likely the entire operation, "All of this. All the money and manpower that's being poured out here. You think the WRO'd still stand a chance against the Brotherhood?"

The pilot snorted, taking a long drag off his cigarette, "You worry too much, Luke. Besides, you think they tell me anything? We don't know jack about these freaks or what they're capable of."

"A lot of people are saying..." Luke started, but was instantly cut off,

"People talk shit all the time! Trust me, when you get to be my age you learn to quit listenin' to people like that. You know what I believe in?" Here Cid paused and placed his fist on the other man's chest, directly above his heart, "I believe in this. Of course, proven facts don't hurt either!" He laughed.

"And as for money," Cid continued, this time a mischievous glint in his eye, "It ain't comin' out of our pocket, so who gives a damn!"

Luke seemed satisfied, nodding, and then turning around and returning to his own work.

Cid in turn continued further down the large aisle, separating either side of the workshop that housed the incomplete air crafts. He had a few minutes to kill, and he considered making a mad dash to his own private housing quarters, if for nothing else than to catch a quick gulp from a special bottle he kept hidden in a lock-box. Quickly he exited the shop, donning his heavy cloak, and turned to his right, toward the living quarters. For some reason, Reeve had built Cid's quarters as a separate little building, as opposed to the single floor apartment-like complexes the other workers and soldiers had to sleep in. Not that he cared one bit; he liked his privacy after all, and didn't want to deal with the other hired hands more than he had to. As he got closer, Cid was already savoring the taste of his liquor stash, reaching a gloved hand out to grab the door handle.

A piercing, blaring warning siren broke the silence, startling the man and causing him to swear out loud. All around the compound, red lights flashed to life, soldiers running this way and that and directing the workers to the weapon stashes to arm themselves. Cussing a second time, Cid flung open the door to his 'home' and dashed inside. In an instant he found was he was looking for: a gleaming silver spear, with white leather wrapped from bottom to top. He grabbed it, along with a small bundle of dynamite on the parallel table, and ran back out into the waiting cold.

As the other men properly armed themselves, they funneled out through the large gate that lead to the outside of the complex, then spread out into a line. Cid used his weapon to push through the mob, often forcefully, swearing all the while. Once he reached the very front, his eyes scanned the distance. The snow still fell in great clumps, and whatever was approaching could not be seen. Suddenly, Luke appeared at his side.

"Never a dull moment, eh old man?"

Cid, who had lost his previous cigarette, quickly lit another one, the smoke from the tobacco mixing with his fogged breath in the cold air, "Shit, like I got enough problems to deal with!"

Then all of the assembled soldiers and armed workers stood, waiting, with only the howling wind to fill their ears. Then a blaring announcement roared over the PA system: "Flank left! Enemies approaching from the east! Repeat, flank left!"

In a frenzy, the entire mob turned and thundered across the snow to re-align on the east side of the complex, Cid cursing the entire way. Once they were formed into a near-perfect line, the mob held their breath, some fidgeting nervously with their weapons, unfamiliar with holding them. Others, the more battle seasoned of the lot, twitched and shuffled about, eager for the battle to come.

Luke turned to Cid, having already drawn his short sword and pistol, holding them at the ready, "How many times does this make?"

Cid huffed, clearly agitated, "This past month? Five, at least. Still think ShinRa ought to just nuke the bastard's holes and be done with that!"

Then they heard it, faintly, but all of the soldiers and workers knew what it was. The faint battle cry of a frost giant. Those on the front of the column raised their guns to point straight ahead, some of the more nervous ones gladly stepping toward the back, for the more eager fighters to take point. All of them turned to Cid, awaiting orders.

But to Cid, something didn't feel right. 'The hell are they waiting for...?'

"Well come on out and fight ya spineless pig-headed bastards!" He called into the wind.

As if in reply, a second roar followed, much louder, and closer. Then, a line of black smudges appeared at the edge of the snowstorm. It looked like a mountain range advancing upon them, with forms tall, short, all forms of shapes and sizes. The enemy moved slowly, until there was scarce fifty feet between the two hosts. Frost giants, their skin a pale blue with eyes as black as night, with thick manes of stark white hair and beards and easily ten feet tall, lumbered alongside much smaller skeletal figures, their half-rotted bodies gashed and torn. At the head of the host, was another frost giant, though it was much, much larger than its counterparts. Easily fifteen feet tall, with corded muscles down its arms and chest, its skin tone was slightly darker blue than the others. Around its neck was a necklace of bones, both human and frost giant, as custom of one giant challenging its leader, the loser is eaten alive.

The sight of the beast certainly unnerved many of the assembled men, some of them taking hesitant steps backward, but Cid's booming voice held them in place, "If any of you so much as think of runnin' away, I'll kill ya myself!"

Even Luke had a look of doubt, briefly lowering his weapons, "Commander... what in the hell is that thing?"

Cid eyeballed the beast, never once having a doubt as to not what, but who this creature was. Ever since he arrived there, he had heard stories and legends about him. He took another draw off his cigarette, "It's gotta be Kfafta... local frost giant chieftain. Baddest son of a bitch around for hundreds of miles."

Again the one called Kfafta roared, likely to confirm its own identity. In its right hand was a heavy club, rows of swords, daggers, and ax heads cleaved into it to form rows of deadly teeth. And in his left, held a long steel chain, the attached creature moving up beside its master,

"...and he brought his pet with him," Cid shuddered.

It was a manticore, a beast of the darkest reaches of the underworld, some had said. With the body of a lion, its face was angled and sharp, its eyes glowing a bright yellow, clearly visible through the thick snow and mist. The body and fur was not sleek nor proud as a lion's would be. Rather, its body was rigid, and covered in sand-colored scales, Upon its back, the black and scaly wings of a bat, its wingspan nearly as long as its master was tall. But the most prominent feature was the tail, Coiled up against its back, the scorpion tail now slowly outstretched, the deadly barb waving menacingly at the humans. It was an ugly beast, and far larger than would seem possible. The very tip of its head stopped just at Kfafta's chest, and it roared a horrible, guttural sound.

"W-what the fuck is THAT?" One soldier called from the back.

"How are we supposed to kill it?" Another stammered.

"Quit! All of ya!" Luke yelled over the wind. The others almost didn't hear him.

But Cid wasn't afraid. He smirked, taking another drag from his cigarette, then taking three steps forward. He turned and winked at Luke, then looked back to Kfafta, and yelled, "Don't suppose ya wanna talk this over, do ya!"

The frost giants, while not entirely stupid creatures, understood little of the human language. Kfafta however, was different. He was an escaped slave, many years ago having been captured as a child by human slavers. Before he was to be shipped off the continent, he killed his captors and fled. He understood the language well enough to vaguely communicate. And he understood how humans behaved, and how they fought.

"Puny humanses trespass on Kfafta's lands!" The giant bellowed, voice shaking the ground. "Kfafta offers one time and only one! Leave! Or we smashes you to dust!"

Cid laughed, finding it quite amusing that a stupid monster was trying to play at diplomacy. "I got a better idea, beasty! How about you and your boyfriends here pack up and hit the road! Maybe then we won't mount your head on our wall!"

Kfafta only vaguely understood the insults, only able to register that this pathetic human was refusing his generous offer! It was a move his warriors deemed weak, and actions not befitting a proper chieftain. Those who openly expressed their opinions now had their bones strung about the mighty giant's neck.

"We eats tiny human babies! We drinks from your skulls and picks our teeth with your bones! Leaves now!" Kfafta bellowed. At his side, the manticore shifted its weight, growling loudly, and its eyes flaring a brighter glow, eager for the killing.

Behind Cid, Luke shook his head, for he knew exactly what was coming next.

Cid laughed again, this time louder and more mockingly. He jumped back, pointing his spear out towards the enemy host, and yelled as loud as he could, "Your mother was a filthy drake-loving mud pit!"

The drakes, a race of dragon-like beings that lived in the highest mountain caves of the region, were the sworn lifelong enemies of the frost giants. The giants, being of the ice and snow, were also not overfond of the dirt and mud, the element being one of their only weakness. To a human, the insult might seem silly, even childish. However, to a frost giant, to accuse their mother of having bedded their most hated enemies, was the highest and harshest insult. As evidenced by the ear-piercing roar of Kfafta, and the earth-shaking pound of his giant club into the dirt. Around him, the other frost giants roared, also having taken insult even though it was not directed at them.

"SMASHES THEM AND CRACKS THEM!" Kfafta roared, snapping the chain off the manticore, which immediately uncurled its wings and took to the sky.

In an instant, the giants and their skeletal allies were thundering across the field, cussing and yelling in their native languages. Those of the zombie monsters that did not move away were trampled by giant's feet, such was the blind fury that the large creatures had. Cid yelled a command, and the humans also charged, firing their weapons at the oncoming monsters.

Cid quickly yanked two sticks of dynamite from his belt, holding one between his pinky and ring finger, the other between his middle and index fingers. Quickly, he lit the fuses with his cigarette, and flung them as hard as he could. The sticks landed, and exploded, thinning the ranks just a bit, but unfortunately, not enough to matter. Then the two armies met head-on, giant's clubs and fists swinging wildly, and bullets zipping through the air.

Just before the two hosts clashed, Cid jammed his spear into the ground, essentially pole-vaulting himself into the air and over the first few lines of enemies. As his body came back down, he pushed the spear-tip down, its wicked point, with his strength behind it, cleaving easily into a giant's upper chest. Never wasting a second, the spear was yanked out, twirled twice in the air, and the butt-end of the spear cracked the head of a zombie coming up from his left, ending its life. A second zombie, somewhat larger than the first, lumbered up to challenge the man, its left, rotten hand seemingly barely able to grip its wicked sword. Cid traded a few blows with the creature, it's strength greater than should seem possible at a glance. Still, the man laughed the entire time, finally lifting his boot and kicking the thing in the chest, knocking it back a few feet. It growled, and advanced again, only for its weapon to be knocked from its hand. A moment later, Cid jammed a lit dynamite stick into its chest cavity, before darting away. The monster's slow thinking brain barely had time to register its apparent victory, before the dynamite detonated, blasting its body apart.

Luke was having a somewhat tougher time, constantly jumping left and then right to avoid the over-the-head punches of a frost giant. When one fist landed, the man slashed with his blade and jumped away, pistol ringing out shot after shot at the giant's chest and neck. Nothing seemed to slow the monster down, as rage and hatred drove it to fight through the injuries. Luke dived again, narrowly missing the meaty fist that would have drove him into the ground like a hammer to a nail. This time however, he dove forward, between the giant's legs to stand behind it. Sword slashed at the back of the giant's kneecap, a single bullet ripped into the back of the other, and the giant was forced to the ground. Not wasting the chance, he charged, driving his blade with as much strength as he could muster. The steel cleaved the back of the giant's skull, but Luke never relented. Dropping his pistol, he gripped the hilt with both hands and drove it as hard as he could. Finally, the blade reached the beast's brain, and it fell over and knew no more. The roar of a lion prevented him from celebrating and he, on instinct, ducked low and reached for his gun. Not a moment later, the manticore swooped over him, its powerful claws intended for his head. The soldier behind Luke however, was not so lucky. Luke looked up just in time to see the beast sink its powerful maw into the unfortunate soldier's neck, separating the head from the body in a single snap, and vanished into the overhanging fog.

Not so far away, Cid was likewise ducking and weaving around a frost giant, but still he continued to laugh, taunting the monster and continuing a string of insults that he knew the monster wouldn't understand. Finally, he had enough. When the monster slapped it's palm into the snow, Cid jammed his spear into it, pinning the giant to the ground. He then ran up the length of the arm, left hand shooting down to his belt and producing a pair of jagged knives. When he reached the top, he somersaulted over the head, standing with both feet on the shoulders of the giant. Both daggers flew into the eyes of the giant, blinding it, but Cid wasn't done. He wrapped his hands around the monster's neck, and twisted as hard as he could. The sickening 'snap!' of the neck bone could be heard by all close by. He retrieved his spear, just as three more zombies advanced upon him. On instinct, Cid threw out his left hand, the glove glowing red. A line of fire shot out, arced, and then fell over the three monsters. In an instant, the three fell over, screeching for only a second, before dying. "Fire! Kill the bastards with fire!" He yelled to every one around him.

He then thought it would be a good time to test a new toy Luke had made for him. He produced a thin, yet sturdy chain, about five feet long, and quickly fasted a special hook on one end to the very bottom tip of his spear. The other, he secured around his wrist, and gave a few hard tugs. Satisfied that it would hold, Cid looked about for his next victim. Another frost giant stepped toward him, and that was all it took. Cid reared back, and threw his weapon. It whistled through the air, the chain pulled taut and the weapon burying itself in the giant's heart. Cid then grasped the chain with his hand, and yanked as hard as he could. The magically enhanced chain pulled the spear with it, the weapon following the pull of the chain back into it's wielder's hands. Cid nodded in approval, actually impressed with the weapon. Before he could truly appreciate it, yet another frost giant was thundering towards him.

"Ya bastards just don't know when to quit, do ya?" He laughed, and met the giant's charge.

On the far side of the battle, Kfafta scooped up four soldiers, two in each hand, and smashed them together between his palms. Fragile bones gave way easily under the powerful blow, and all four soldiers died instantly. Despite the fact he was riddled with bullet holes and cuts and gashes, the chieftain knew no pain. All he knew was rage, anger, and his primitive desire to simply win. Kfafta hated humans with all of his being, and his sole goal was to drive all that were not frost giants from the Northern Glacier, his kingdom. What he believed was his birthright. Having been enslaved by humans, he especially had a vendetta against them. Another soldier stood not far off, the end of his rifle exploding in fire as he fired several shots into the great chieftain's chest. Bellowing in rage, Kfafta simply lifted his foot and stomped the annoying human. The soldier tried to run away, but was crushed under the giant booted foot. The chieftain roared again in victory, and began to swing his great club back and forth, cutting a swathe through the humans.

As Cid cut down yet another giant, he heard the already too-familiar roar of a great lion, and threw himself backward. Not a moment later, the manticore landed hard in the snow, the ground trembling and snow scattering every which way. Cid looked up in time to see the burning yellow eyes cut through the falling snow, the beast's maw dripping red with blood from a very recent kill. It's wings flared outward, and the scorpion tail inched over it's body, stopping just above it's head. It growled challengingly.

Cid wiped blood from his mouth, spitting a wad of it at the creature. The crimson missile hit dead on, striking the manticore in the eye. He pulled a dynamite stick from his belt and quickly lit it, "Come on and play with my spear, kitty cat!"

The manticore, enraged by the simple attack and its nostrils filled with the scent of fresh blood, readily accepted the challenge. It's massive legs propelled it forward, quickly closing the gap between it and its next victim, roaring loudly. Cid wasted no time and flung the dynamite at the creature's gaping maw. The stick detonated just as it neared the manticore's face and for a moment, Cid thought the threat over. But once the smoke cleared, the manticore was still there, shaking its great head, the only apparent damage being rows of singed fur around its mane. Before he could register the futility of the attack, the beast charged again, rows of razor teeth aimed for his neck.

"Fucking shit!" Cid cussed loudly, bringing his weapon outward in a horizontal way to deflect the powerful jaws. The manticore locked onto the weapon, and quickly jerked its head left and right, to disarm the man. But Cid held on, somehow keeping hold of his weapon despite the beast's head being bigger than his entire body. A shot from a nearby soldier saved him, the bullet finding the manticore's neck and temporarily stunning it. Cid, knowing he was outmatched, turned and ran the opposite direction, leaving yet another lit dynamite stick behind. He knew it wouldn't harm the monster, but it did seem to stun it, if only for a second. However, this time it didn't affect the monster as before, and it charged after Cid, using its great wings to propel it faster. Cid jerked left, the manticore still charging forward, but not before getting nicked twice by the tip of a spear.

Great claws dug into the snow, slowing its momentum, it turning and again advancing upon its victim. This time, the great tail lurched, suddenly, quickly, outward, the tip dripping with a feral acid. Cid again jerked left, then had to jump backward a second later to avoid a second strike. The barb sunk deep into the snow, the oozing black acid dripping from the tip melting the snow instantly. When that didn't seem to work, the beast changed tactics. It growled, again pushing it's leathery wings out as far as they would stretch. At first, the man simply thought this as a sort of bluff, or just a cocky display of it's own prowess. Then the manticore began to fan its wings outward, towards him, each time a thick black powder wafting from the wings. He tried to dodge away, but was quickly overcome by a thick cloud of black mist, and it hit his nose like a gigantic fireball. Instantly his eyes watered, and he couldn't get his bearings, but always kept on the move, knowing this was a ploy to stun him, and then kill him.

A wise choice, Cid pounded through the snow, slashing and punching at whatever oversized shadows passed into his blurry vision. Finally, he was out of the black mist and could breathe, he taking deep gasps of air to clear his head. Then he heard the growl again, and turned, holding his weapon straight out. His vision had not yet cleared, and could only make out the blurred outlines of the manticore. He knew that this was the end. He saw the beast thrust its tail outward, but he barely managed to swing his own weapon to knock the deadly barb away. But a second thrust followed right then, Cid ducking, but a moment too late. The tip of the tail scratched his right side, and pain instantly flared in his body. A second later, the entire right side of his body went numb, and he had to visually check to make sure he was still holding the silver spear. As relieved as he was for the numbness to forget the freezing wind, he knew his condition was not good. And he also knew he couldn't withstand another onslaught from the manticore. His knees buckled, and he fell backward onto his rump.

The manticore advanced slowly, already savoring the kill. The deadly stunning powder was a unique, genetic skill of the manticore species, and it helped them to capture and kill their prey. It issued a throaty growl that sounded like a menacing laugh, and pounced.

A burly soldier threw himself in the path of the monster, dagger raised and jamming it into the open maw. The blade found its mark, driving upward into the head but narrowly missing the brain. The soldier on the other hand, was viciously mauled and ripped apart in a shower of blood. Cid seized the opportunity, and charged forward, screaming and cussing the entire way.

The manticore, momentarily distracted by the kill, only looked up a mere moment too late.

Cid's aim was true, the spear tip digging deep right between the manticore's eyes. But Cid, blinded by his own rage and driven by the sacrifice of the soldier, gripped the weapon tightly and drove it all the way. Silver cleaved flesh, bone, and brain matter, until the spear was imbedded to its halfway mark in the beast's skull, the rest jutting out the back of the head.

The beast froze for a moment, Cid ripping the weapon free. The manticore reared onto it's hind legs, it's front paws slashing empty air, the wings twitching, and the scorpion tail curled tightly against it's back. Despite the beast seemingly in it's death throes, Cid did not relent. He spun backwards, back flipped twice, then launched his body into the air, the spear tip glowing a pale red. As he came back down, the manticore saw him, and attempted to launch its tail, but was too weakened. Still on it's hind legs, it instead meant to capture the man in it's front paws and quickly finish him off before it died. However, Cid moved too fast, and drove the spear into it's neck, burying itself halfway, and continued to slice, effectively cutting the monster's entire lower body in half. Cid was sprayed with hot gore, and the fiery golden light faded from the monster's eyes, it's wings crumpling, and it falling backward with a loud 'thud!' into the eternal darkness of death.

His still pumping adrenaline kept him from noticing the searing pain from the manticore's tail sting, or even the numbness. Quickly, he reached into his back pocket and located a small green vile. Yanking the cork off with his teeth, he gingerly poured the liquid onto the wound. Burning pain flared again, and he cussed louder than he ever had before. But it quickly passed, and the man felt life return to his body again. Cid looked down at the pile of human body parts and innards, the soldier who sacrificed his own life so that he could slay the evil manticore.

"Shit... fuck... sorry, buddy," Cid swore under his breath, promising to get extra drunk that night to honor this unknown soldier's memory.

Having witnessed their commander personally slay so mighty a foe, the surviving soldier's morale boosted tenfold, and they fought with even more savagery and passion. For every human that was killed, two zombies and a frost giant fell with them.

Kfafta, the mighty frost giant chieftain, who had been smashing, clawing, biting and stomping into the humans, had suddenly lost the will to fight. He saw the killing blow to his most precious pet, his greatest weapon, of whom he spent many months hunting and then coaxing the manticore to join his cause. Many other chieftains before him would simply fight to the last frost giant, even if it was obvious that the battle was lost.

Kfafta was not like the other chieftains.

The giant leader roared a single word in his native tongue, then turned and fled back into the east, stomping and swinging aside all who stood in his way, frost giant or human. The other giants paused, apparently confused and not being used to be ordered to flee from a glorious battle. When the humans however, did not pause and continued to cut them down, the survivors turned and fled behind their leader. The battle quickly turned into a rout, and the zombie monsters, ordered to remain behind as fodder to slow the human's advance, were quickly cut down and burned for good measure. When the last rumbling footsteps of the retreating giants died away, the surviving soldiers had cheered, and began congratulating each other. Though they all sobered up quickly, once they realized how great their own losses were. However, each man took pride in the ferocity with which they fought. There were indeed more frost giant corpses and the charred bones of the zombies littering the ground than were humans. Each human body would be collected, examined, identified, and their loved ones informed of their courageous sacrifice.

Luke stomped through the snow, a giant gash in his head and his left arm hanging limply at his side. He located Cid, and went straight to him. Despite his injuries, he still carried an air of humor in his voice, "Didn't think you'd still be alive, old man!"

Cid smirked, but it quickly faded. There was something strange about the whole situation. "Something ain't right here, Luke,"

"What do you mean?"

Cid stabbed his spear deep into the snow and dirt, and leaned on it like a cane for support; his head was still flushed from the manticore venom, "When's the last time you saw those bastards organized like that? It's almost like they planned it all out. Ain't normal for frost giants."

The dark-skinned man pondered this for a moment. "You're right, normally they just charge in and fight until they either win or are killed."

"Exactly," Cid confirmed, "Kfafta might be smarter'n we thought!"

"What should we do?"

Cid spat, the wad half saliva and half blood, "Fuck 'im! We ain't seen the last of Kfafta, but I think we killed most of his men. For now, let's collect our dead and lick our wounds."

This time it was Luke's term to smirk, "Just another day in paradise, eh old man?"

The older male nodded, no hint of humor in his face or voice, "Another day in hell, more like," He muttered as he walked away. Luke never heard him.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Cid confined himself to his personal living quarters. He sat in a high backed chair which was not comfortable by any means. Across his lap was a small metal fold out tray, upon which sat a ten inch box television, a metal antenna protruding from it's center. Each night he feebly attempted to push and move the antenna this way and that, hoping to pick up something, anything. But as always, the screen showed nothing but snowy static. While his left hand continued to toy with the antenna, his right tightly gripped a bottle of gold brown liquor, which he took a long drought of.<p>

More or less he had healed completely from the battle, though he still felt woozy, and drained. Suddenly, a colored image flashed across the screen of the small TV. Cid cussed, and tried to place the antenna back in the appropriate place. The screen continued to flash until finally, an image came clear across, he gingerly moving his hand away, then turning up the volume. It appeared to be a news report, the short haired blonde female anchor in a tan-colored business suit, was reading from a stack of paper in her hands. Cid listened close, turning the volume up further still as loud as he dared.

"_Numerous reports continue to come in from Edge City HQ, of the apparent failed coup from the World Regenesis Order army. Apparently, the WRO attempted to retake Fort Condor for the militant army known as 'The Brotherhood of the Planet.' We've obtained some footage from the battle, though we warn you that the content is disturbing." _

Instantly, the pleasant image of the woman cut to static, and was instead replaced by something far more horrible. Cid's eyes widened to saucers as he saw the raw footage of war. The shaky video footage showed men and women running in and out of frame, the noise of gunfire and dying screams shaking the man to his core. All around the snow-capped ground was filled with blood and dead bodies, overturned vehicles lit ablaze. Cid heard a 'fa-fwoom' sound, then a loud clatter as a steel cage struck the ground directly in front of the camera. The impact sent a cloud of snow into the air, and all that was seen from the footage was gray and white. The gunfire continued, then an ape-like monster leaped from the cloud, mouth opened wide and shrieking loudly, which again caused Cid to shiver. A split second later, the monster's maw close around the camera, shook twice, then was nothing more than static.

Then it cut back to the female reporter, and at first she only shook her head, the look in her eyes of obvious dread. _"According to reports, the Brotherhood had been capturing wild monsters to use in the fight against the WRO, such as the monster seen in the previous footage. The official fatality count is as yet undetermined, however, a few choice names have come up in those declared MIA." _Here she paused, and reshuffled her papers, cleared her throat, and continued, _"Anyone with information leading to either the recovery or confirmed death of the following individuals is strongly encouraged to contact Reeve Tuesti, CEO and co-founder of the WRO."_ Again she paused and pulled the next paper out.

"_Yuffie Kisaragi..." _And a photo of the young ninja flashed across the screen. Cid instantly flew into a rage and flung his bottle against the wall, it shattering and sending liquor every where. Normally, he would mentally kick himself for waste of good alcohol, but right then he didn't care. Cussing again, he flipped the table off his lap, sending the television to smash against the floor. Standing straight up, he reached into his back pocket and located his cellphone. He punched one number on speed dial, and put it to his ear.

The dial tone only rang twice, before the line clicked, "Cid, you were supposed to report..."

"Can it, asshole!" Cid yelled, "When the hell were you gonna tell me that Yuffie was missing?! Huh!?"

There was a pause, "How do you..."

"So!" Cid laughed, though not in an amused way, "You admit to knowing but you don't tell me!? I knew none of you ShinRa bastards could be trusted! You think I wouldn't wanna know that a good friend of mine is probably dead!?"

"Cid, I can explain..."

"To hell with your explanations, ShinRa! You wanna give me excuses? If you wanna lie to me, you can look me in the eye so I can knock your teeth out! I'll be in Edge soon. Once I find out from someone other than you lying suits, I'll come lookin' for ya!"

"You still have an obligation to fill..."

"Shut yer trap! You can take all these airships and everything else and shove 'em up yer' fuckin' ass! Luke is in charge now. I'll be seein' ya soon, Reeve!" Then he snapped the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket. Grabbing his spear, his heavy jacket, and a small pack of supplies, he stormed out the door into the cold, not even bothering to shut it behind him.

His friends were in trouble. To hell with it all.

* * *

><p>Cid burst into a small side bunker, flicking on the lights and slamming the flat end of his spear tip against the wall, producing a very loud and obnoxious sound, "Wake up ya' bastards! Drop your cocks and grab your socks! We got a ship to fly!"<p>

Ten men instinctively rolled out of their bunks and onto the hard floor, scrambling to pull on their boots and clothes.

"What's going on, sir?" One man dared to ask. He paid for it with a slap across the face.

Cid regretted it after, but kept an angry visage on his face, "I need to get to Edge and fast! Fuckin' hell! I'll explain everything on the way. But for now, get yer' asses to the _Shera_! I want her ready to fly in five minutes! Ya hear me!?"

"Yes, sir!" All ten men said in unison, before running out the door, fast as they could.

After collecting his thoughts, Cid again pulled out his cellphone and dialed another number. It rang once, twice, five times, ten times, then straight to voice mail. He cussed, then tried again with the same results. He saw no other alternatives, so he spoke to the machine,

"Luke, it's Cid. Lookie here punk, I ain't got time to explain it all, but some serious shit is going on back home and I gotta leave. I've got here a signed, dated and sealed letter from me sayin' yer' in charge now. I expect ya' to keep these sorry asses on their toes and keep production goin'! Otherwise I'm gonna have to come back here and stick my whole spear up yer' ass!" He paused, and forced himself to laugh, "I left the note in my crew's chambers. So you can show it to the proper authorities. Don't let me down, punk! I'll see ya on the other side!" Then he hung up the phone, and dashed out the door.

Five minutes later, Cid stepped up the ladder and onto the main bridge of the _Shera_. His personal crew were still dashing this way and that, making sure that the appropriate measures were taken for take off. Multi-colored lights flashed all around him, and he was satisfied when he heard the main engines rumble to life, after the hatch door he entered was closed.

"Status report!" Cid bellowed, stepping up to the helm of the airship.

"Lights are green, captain!"

"Primary and secondary engines are online, sir!"

"All exits sealed and air-locked, commander! We're ready for lift-off!"

"Coordinates, sir?"

Cid nodded his approval, tightly gripping the large steering wheel, "B-line to Edge City!" He yelled.

The intercom overhead clicked to life, "_Shera_, you're cleared for take-off,"

Ahead, two large hangar doors slowly parted, revealing nothing beyond except snow, and darkness.

"Come back soon, Commander Highwind," The voice on the intercom said, "Won't quite be the same without you!"

A moment later, the _Shera _slowly rose above the ground, the rumbling of the engines slowly growing louder. Then, in an instant, the mighty airship launched forward, arcing upward and outward into the snowy night.


	18. Remembrance & Resurgence

**-Chapter 18-**

**Remembrance & Resurgence **

* * *

><p><em>The blind men shout, let the creatures out, let's show the unbelievers. The napalm screams of human flames of the prime time Belsen feast. As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy, we oil the jaws of the war machines and feed them with our babies.<em>

_The killer's breed or the demon's seed, the glamor, the fortune, the pain. Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain. Don't you pray for my soul anymore. Two minutes to midnight, the hands that threaten doom._

_Two minutes to midnight, to kill the unborn in the womb. As the madmen play on words and make us dance to their song, to the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun. Don't you pray for my soul anymore._

* * *

><p><em>All around him, there was nothing but fire, and death. Men and women ran through the burning city, screaming in terror and fleeing for their lives. Chaos was abundant, as wild monsters of all types stalked the shadows, pouncing on unsuspecting victims, tearing into them with no mercy. Men in black hoods brandishing assault rifles also ran back and fourth, gunning down the innocent. Their counterparts, men and women wearing white hoods, attempted to fight off the enemies and the beasts, with minimal success. As a monster turned toward him, the man quickly checked his sides and jacket for something, anything to defend himself. Looking down, he saw a small steel rod, diving forward and scooping it up quickly. Not a moment too soon, as the beast lunged, but the man swung the rod as hard as he could, caving in the side of its head, then whacking it twice more for good measure.<em>

_Above him, the sounds of glass shattering and foundation giving way rumbled loudly, as the top half of a tall building suddenly snapped in two, like a twig. The top of the building lurched to the left, then to the right, before the weight of it shifted and it finally began to bow forward, directly above where the man stood. Not wasting another second, he turned and ran as hard and as fast as his legs would carry him, then attempted to run even faster. Just ahead, a gang of black-hooded enemies appeared and blocked off the street, their rifles aimed directly at him. He made a split second decision and threw himself down a side alley, just as the enemies had opened fire where he once was. Without stopping or even looking around, he continued to run in the new direction, keeping a tight grip on the steel weapon in his hand, should it be needed again._

_Then something happened, a deafening crash filled his ears, and what sounded like a million vehicles running headlong into each other all at once forced him to cover his ears. Looking over his shoulder and still running, the building remnants had stuck the street behind him, and now sent a wave of black smoke and fire directly toward him. He halted, quickly looking around, there was no other way out, and he knew that he wouldn't make it to the end of the alley where it opened up to the parallel street. Then he saw it, a fire escape ladder leading to the roof of the building to his right. Acting solely on instinct, the man hurled himself at the ladder, clenching his scavenged weapon between his teeth. He wasn't sure exactly how his hands and boots found the bars to carry him up the ladder; he was certain his life was about to end, and felt that he wasn't even in control of his own body. The base human instinct of survival at all costs now controlled him. He turned as he shot up the ladder, the cloud of ash and fire was now nearly upon him, but never once did he stop. Finally, at the last moment, the ledge of the building was in sight. His feet propelled off the foothold, and he gripped the edge with his hands. With more strength than he thought he possessed, he hauled himself up and over, hitting his back and curling into a fetal position, just as the cloud barreled by with a deafening roar, ripping the ladder from its foundation._

_After a few minutes, he deduced that it was now safe, and he stood up, his face and clothes now covered in soot. He picked the steel rod back up and glanced around, looking for a good vantage point. Just to his right there was another raised section of roof, with a tiny step ladder just in front of it. Nodding, he slowly walked over and shimmied up the ladder, and the breath left his body._

_Nearly the entire city was in flames, plumes of black smoke in abundance throughout. In the streets, military vehicles were roaring this way and that, and from this distance it was hard to tell whether they were friend, or foe. The sounds of gunfire were all around him now, as were the screams of people dying. Then a sudden whooshing noise caused the man to sink down, his arms moving to defend himself. Overhead, a large airship zipped through the air, moving to the very center of the city. Instantly, air raid sirens drowned out all other sound. The man watched the airship, until it was barely visible in the sky. Then, he could see a smaller object detach from the airship, and drop towards the ground at an accelerated rate._

"_Oh, please don't tell me that's what I think it is," He said aloud, to himself._

_Then the detached object vanished behind a line of buildings, and a moment later, it happened. He suddenly heard nothing else, as an energy wave burst high into the sky and in all directions, like a sphere. And behind that was another ball of fire, smoke, and death. The hearing returned to his ears, but now all he heard was the rumbling of the approaching destruction, and the continuous sirens. It was so large, and was moving so fast, that he knew there was no hope of outrunning it, and that there was no hiding from it. And so, he simply dropped the steel rod, it clanging on the cement, as the rumbling grew louder, and louder, now almost a dull roar. He stood on the edge of the building, watching the approaching fireball. He reached into a jacket pocket for a pack of cigarettes, quickly placing one in his mouth and lighting it. _

"_Never thought it would end like this," He said as he took a second, long draw from the cigarette, "But then again, this is what we signed up for, right?"_

_Then the energy blast knocked him from the ledge, the fireball engulfing him a second later._

* * *

><p>The shock from the nightmare caused him to shoot up into a sitting position, but a moment later he regretted it. Pain racked his entire midsection, and his head throbbed violently, causing his vision to momentarily flush. Slowly, he laid back down, clutching his head with both of his hands. However, what his head rested on wasn't a feather pillow, and it crinkled and crunched. It felt more like... a leather sack, filled with hay? Deciding for the moment that he didn't care, he slowly opened his eyes and looked straight up. Here he discovered he could only see out of one eye. The sky was gray, the clouds lazily drifting by and sprinkling the area around him with very light snow.<p>

Reno attempted to shake off the dreams, and looked down at his own body, checking himself for the cause of his pain. He was naked from the waist up, and there were white bandages wrapped around his entire stomach. His chest was riddled with small holes, but all of them were patched up with what looked like gauze, and patches of white cloth taped over them. He then reached up to feel his face, and discovered that one half of his face was wrapped in like-bandages that were around his midsection. He dared not touch them, for fear of what might happen after.

"What the hell... is going on, man...?" He managed to choke out. His throat was extremely dry.

A crackling sound caught his attention, and he looked over to see a small fire, over which was a makeshift spit, and on that hung a small pot, some unknown concoction brewing and bubbling inside. However, the next thing he saw, was a bald head.

"Rude...! You awake, partner?" And didn't get a response. He was on the other side of the fire, and so Reno fought through the pain, and managed to stand on his legs. Though they trembled violently, he simply grit his teeth, and wobbled over to where Rude was laid out. Reno quickly noticed that the other man was likewise naked from the waist up, though had less bandages than he did. However, Rude's right arm was in a makeshift sling, a stint wrapped with tape and cloth holding it in place.

"Shit, partner... how did all of this happen?" Reno finally collapsed onto his knees beside the bald Turk. Sharp pain shot straight up his spine, right up to his head. But he refused to black out, instead sinking his teeth into a knuckle to force the pain sensors elsewhere. He tasted blood, and then his vision started to slowly clear again. It was easy to note that Rude was indeed alive, his chest rising and falling slowly, so that was a good sign.

Reno then sat flat on his butt, trying to contemplate the next mystery: exactly where were they, and who had patched them up? Both men were clearly in no shape that they could have done it themselves, and Reno certainly had no memory of what had happened leading up to the Fort Condor battle.

Just then, Reno heard a faint rustling in the bushes, quickly jerking around to the source of the noise. Fearing a monster, or even a militia member, he scanned the surrounding area for some sort of weapon, or anything. He spotted his and Rude's overjackets hanging on a nearby limb, and crawled toward them. Snatching down his own jacket, Reno quickly fumbled through the inner pockets and located a small, three inch pocket knife. But also knew that it wouldn't be enough, if it were the militia.

Just then, his eyes landed on a broken tree branch. It was about four feet in length, and instantly the Turk's mind went into survival mode. He stood up, attempted to take a step, then stumbled back down. Each time he did this, he pushed harder off his foot, to propel his body just a little further. When he finally snatched the tree limb up, he went straight to work. He snapped the smaller branches from the limb, and went to work furiously running the sharp blade down the larger end. Starting from the inside of the branch, he whittled outward, each thrust turning the limb over. After several long minutes, the rustling noise increasing, Reno tucked the knife into his pocket and examined his work. The point was certainly narrow and sharp enough that it would pierce human flesh, and maybe even a beast or two.

"Shit, better than nothing I guess," He declared to himself, stumbling back to where Rude still lay unconscious, using his new weapon as a walking stick. Reno listened intently, determining exactly where the sound and movement was coming from. Once he decided, he motioned behind a nearby tree, pushing his weight against it and thankful for the support.

Then the rustling grew still louder, and the Turk could now hear footsteps. His adrenaline picked up, the pain all over his body now suddenly non-existent. He just knew that whomever was approaching, intended to do him and his fallen comrade harm. And if they were to die, he was going to take at least one of them with him.

Then in a split second, everything exploded and it all happened so fast.

Once Reno was sure the enemy was within range, he flung himself from behind the tree and thrust his weapon out. He was surprised when another object knocked his spear to his left, and a fist collided with his sternum. The blow knocked Reno backward a step, but swung his weapon around as though it were a baseball bat. He felt his weapon again knocked aside, and a fist close around it, and actually force it from his hands. Seething, his hand went into his pocket, flipping open the knife and lunging for his attacker. He hit a solid body, and the two tumbled back into the brush. Once both bodies hit the ground, Reno felt another wave of pain shoot down his back, and for a moment was helpless. The intruder then in turn flipped him around onto his back, and before Reno knew it, cold, sharp steel was pressed against his neck. Reno, on instinct, had thrust his own weapon out to where a neck normally would be, and held it firmly there.

Then once Reno's good eye cleared, he saw a woman, brown hair, green eyes... and most importantly, white attire.

"I'm not going to hurt you! You need to calm down and kindly take your knife off my jugular."

Reno smirked, "Funny request when you're ready to slice all the way to my spinal column. Why don't you take your knife off of me first?" He managed to choke out; his mouth was still extremely dry.

The woman's eyes narrowed, however, knew that it would be a losing battle, and slowly withdrew her weapon from the man's neck. Once he relented and likewise, albeit cautiously, drew away, she slowly stood up and even extended a hand to help him up. Reno accepted, but kept his weapon drawn.

"Right... so much for a good first impression, eh?" The woman said, returning her knife to it's sheathe at her hip.

"Yo, I'm the resident smartass here, not you!" Reno retorted, also placing his weapon back in his pocket. He then spotted his makeshift spear, and retrieved it.

The stranger snorted, "Right, of course. I'm Sergeant Tara Norfolk, WRO medical division. And you're Reno."

The redhead hobbled past the woman, refusing a helping hand, and instead returned to Rude's side. He still had not stirred. "And how do you know who I am?"

"I'm friends with Yuffie Kisaragi. I saw her talking to you and Cloud before the army moved out. She told me a lot about you and the other Turks."

Reno blinked, "What... the Wutai girl?"

Tara nodded, "The same."

"And you're obviously a WRO medic... Two and two together says you're probably the one who patched me and Rude here up then?"

The woman had since walked away to retrieve a large leather satchel, lost in the previous struggle. She then took a seat beside the bubbling pot, and began to rummage through the pack. "You're right. "

"So where's the getaway vehicle? Where's the other WRO soldiers? Why the hell are we sitting here in some makeshift camp like a bunch of runaway prisoners?" Reno asked, suddenly growing extremely suspicious of the woman.

"I'm afraid once I tell you, you won't even believe me. And anyway, I assumed you would want to eat first," As she said that, she pulled two rabbits from the satchel, along with a smaller leather pouch, filled with mushrooms. Reno's stomach rumbled loudly; he suddenly remembered just how hungry he was.

At that, Tara laughed, pulling out a second, much smaller knife from the back of her pants, and set about preparing the rabbits for the pot, "I'm going to take that as a yes."

After field dressing and butchering both rabbits, Tara had cut key sections of meat from the animals, and skewered those on a separate spit, instructing Reno to build a second fire. Once all that was done, the other cut pieces of meat were dropped into the boiling pot, along with a handful of mushrooms and a few whittled pieces of greenery Reno didn't recognize. The other sectioned pieces of rabbit on the skewer were then placed over the second fire, to slowly roast.

Reno watched all of this with an amused smirk, and when Tara gave him a questioning look, he spoke, "Gotta say, I'm kind of impressed. This is like some straight backwoods stuff!"

"You mean you don't know how to field dress a rabbit? Or identify edible plants?" She asked with a raised brow.

Reno laughed, "Not really, chick! When I went in for training I wasn't even given the option. So I figured it wasn't that important!"

Tara smirked, using a stripped, white tree branch to stir the simmering stew in the pot, "When I first enlisted for combat medical training, I was immediately deployed out east. About as far east as you could go."

"What, like Wutai?"

But the woman shook her head, "I've never been to Wutai, but from what Yuffie told me it sounds like an exotic place. I'd like to go there one day..." Then she looked down, fighting back sadness. She wondered right then what had become of her friend, and if she was all right?

Reno shrugged, not even noticing, "Eh, it's all right I guess. Been there once or twice, can't say I ever wanna go back."

Tara shook off the thoughts, and continued, "Anyway, my gunnery sergeant told us all that on the battlefield, anything could happen. The option for field survival training was given to me, so I took it. The rest of my squad didn't, and they constantly gave me hell about it. Guess the joke's on them now, huh?"

The smell of the stew and the searing meat quickly filled the air, and Reno's stomach again grumbled loudly, causing the combat medic to make an amused sound.

Then, Rude stirred slightly, groaning under his breath. Reno, who still hadn't left his side, and also kept his wooden spear close by, quickly looked down. The other man made another noise, then rolled over onto his left, and apparently went back to sleep.

Tara noted all of this and, moving to the second fire, slowly turned the rabbit quarters, then spoke, "You two close?"

Reno then shot the woman a deathly glare with his non-bandaged eye, "Yo! It's nothing like what you're thinking, chick!"

Tara held up her free hand, "I didn't mean it like that, and even if that were the case, I don't judge."

Reno scoffed, "We've been friends for a long time... we've been through a lot of shit together, you know? Before, during, and even after Meteorfall. We just get each other, you know? I couldn't ask for a better comrade. What's wrong with him, anyway? You're apparently the medical expert."

The woman scoffed herself, but under her breath, "I wouldn't say 'expert', but I know enough for us to survive, at least so long as the resources stay abundant," This she said, while nodding to the cooking meat in front of her, "But as far as I can tell, his arm is only fractured, not broken. But he still won't be throwing any right hooks any time soon, unless we get back to Edge. That aside? You both have multiple burn marks and even had shrapnel embedded in your skin." Here she pointed to the parts of Reno's upper chest, that were individually coated with gauze and taped with a bandage, "It wasn't pretty, but I had to dig out the pieces with my field knife. Don't worry, I sterilized the blade with boiling water; thankfully there's a running stream nearby."

"And did you get them all? We don't gotta worry about lead poisoning, do we?"

"I'm deathly sure I got them all. As for you? I think one of your ribs is broken, and you sustained heavy head trauma. But neither of you are showing signs of internal bleeding, so if you're the praying type, be thankful for that. Otherwise, if it was too severe, I wouldn't be able to help you."

Reno nodded, and found he was indeed thankful that things could be far worse than they were. Then his eye trailed down her neck, looking for any notable injures, and then he saw it. A slit in the center of her shirt where something had cut the fabric.. He noticed the bandage underneath was slightly bloody.

"And... how about you, chick? What happened there?" He asked, pointing down at her chest.

Here she looked down where he had pointed, and slowly all of it had come back to her. "Remember when I said if I told you, you probably wouldn't believe me?"

Reno nodded.

"Well, if you honestly want me to answer that question, you'll probably just have to doubt me."

The male then leaned backward, supporting his weight with both of his hands planted firmly in the dirt. "Try me, chick."

She huffed, "Well, from what I can remember..."

* * *

><p><em>~ ' ' ' [flashback] ' ' ' ~<em>

* * *

><p>"<em>Yuffie, look out!"<em>

_She looked up just in time to see a fourth man run up behind the younger girl, his blade drawn and intent on harming her in whatever way that he could. She never hesitated, jumping down from the overturned vehicle, and bringing her pistol to bare. Quickly she aimed down the sights, and when all she saw was the man's head, she depressed the trigger. The shot rang out, the projectile finding it's mark and blowing out the back of the man's head. Once she was sure the man was dead, she saw Yuffie with a small splatter of blood on her face and neck. She couldn't help but wink, holding the still smoking gun close to her face._

"_Now we're even." She yelled over the still raging battle. _

_Before she could react further, she felt two bodies collide with her own, and in an instant she had hit her back. Two militants had both jumped her from opposite sides, and on instinct she drew her field knife with her left hand. She attempted to raise her pistol and fire off a shot, but she felt a boot kick the weapon out of her hand and somewhere into the darkness. Not a moment later, pain shot to her cheek as one of the men punched her. Her anger rising, Tara slashed out with her blade, and the yell of pain from a man's voice told her she managed to slice one of them. When that man temporarily retreated, Tara crossed her wrists to block a second punch from the other man. Once the attack was blocked, she raised her right foot and thrust it out as hard as she could, intending to kick her assailant right in the groin. She missed, instead striking his pelvis, but the man nonetheless clutched the contact spot and also retreated._

_Quickly, Tara shot to her feet, blade held at the ready. Her eyes shot back and fourth, trying to find Yuffie. She was nowhere in sight, and instead the woman only saw her fellow soldiers and the Brotherhood killing each other. Hoping for the best but expecting the worst for her friend, she then decided to try and locate her pistol..._

_A heavy force struck her from behind, and she was instead pinned completely by one of the men from before. Her knife was likewise thrown from her hand, and then the panic rose. The man flipped her over, slamming her head and back hard into the ground, knocking the wind from the woman, and she saw stars._

"_Hey, Paul! Here's us a pretty slut! Hah!" She heard the man holding her down yell. When her vision cleared, she saw he was indeed an ugly man. Half of his left eye was missing, and his entire face was riddled with scars, and he had no teeth to speak of._

_Then she felt and heard the man tugging and ripping at her pants, and her rage boiled over. She managed to free her right hand, and instantly threw it out, aiming for the man's bad eye. The fist hit dead on, and this in turn stunned the assailant for just a second. Just enough time for Tara to twist her upper body to the left, locating a sizable rock. She grabbed it, just as her attacker wrapped his fists around her throat. However, the man never saw it coming, and the woman slammed the rock into the side of the man's head as hard as she could. The man fell off of her, hitting his left side and clutching his head. Instinct kicked in, and Tara scrambled to her feet, locating her five inch survival knife. Snatching it up, she pounced on the man who was just pinning her down. Seeing nothing but red, full of rage, she jammed the blade into the man's head, feeling his skull cave in, then quickly ripped it out._

_The second assailant then shoved her from behind, and she fell forward. This time however, she kept a firm grip on her knife. Before she could recover, the second man snatched her up by the throat, and slammed her against an overturned military truck. Tara raised her knife to strike back, but the man grabbed her wrist and slammed it too against the truck, until she was forced to drop it. Then the man leaned forward and whispered menacingly into her ear:_

"_I think I'll kill ya, before I rape ya."_

_Fear shot though her, and was certain that this was the end. The man flung her around to land in the dirt, chest and stomach first. She attempted to move, but suddenly felt him on her back, mere moments before a rope was lashed around her neck, it tightening suddenly._

_Instantly, she choked and gagged, her hands shooting to the restraint to try and loosen it so she could breathe. It proved futile, and she could only hear the continuous gunfire, and the man above her cackling like a madman. Images began to flash through her mind: her husband, their three year old daughter, her sister back home, Yuffie, the rest of her friends from boot camp... thinking that all of her hardships had been for nothing. But even as her vision began to blacken, she saw it, just within arm's reach: her pistol. Slowly she reached out for it, but the militant above her only tightened his grip. Now certain that this was indeed the end, she summoned up the last of her energy._

_In an instant, her hand shot out, quicker than she could register and snatched the gun from the dirt. Her left leg shot upward, the back of her foot catching the man in the groin, just hard enough for him to adjust his weight. That proved to be enough, as it allowed her to quickly flip onto her back. Not even aiming, she shoved the barrel of the gun upward, and constantly yanked back on the trigger. Seven of the ten bullets blasted through the man's head, Tara in turn being barraged with gore. The man then fell backwards, and he was no more._

_She lay there for just a moment, gathering her thoughts and ripping the rope from her neck in order to better catch her breath. Before standing back up, she ejected the empty clip from her gun, then slid in a fresh one, pulling the hammer back and preparing it to fire. Once she found her feet, she walked to the side, locating her lost knife, still bloody from the first kill, and picked it up, some brain matter still clinging to the blade._

_Now, she had to find Yuffie._

_Rather than wading through the fighting itself, she instead crept through the shrubbery, trying to avoid spending any more energy than was absolutely necessary. If a foe had noticed her, she was quick to put a bullet through his face, and silently move on before his companion had noticed her. All around her was the sound of death, the dying screams of men and women echoing in her mind forever. She had to ignore them, as well the growing sickness in her stomach, reminding herself that this wasn't her first time in combat._

_Then she saw them, and for a moment she remained where she was amongst the bushes and trees. Yuffie was exchanging blows with a strange looking man. His skin was dark, and his hair was darker, adorned with feathers and beads. Tara thought this man must be from Cosmo Canyon, or one of the continents around it. Despite her urge to dive in and aid her friend, Yuffie was holding her ground very well._

_But then the steel cages started to rain from the sky, each one containing a monster of some sort. Still, Tara fought off the urge to rush in and help her friend, especially when one of the released monsters swiped at the dark-skinned man. Raising an eyebrow, she watched cautiously as the two traded blows with the monster, before it was eventually felled. Then Yuffie and the stranger stared each other down, and that is when she snapped. She just knew that the man would resume his assault, possibly attempting to trick the ninja into thinking he was now an ally. Pistol and knife drawn, she charged from the bushes._

_She quickly slashed the throat of another man coming up from her left, and raised her pistol to the leather-clad man standing in front of Yuffie. However, she never saw it coming, and suddenly, she felt pain in her chest. The pain slowly grew more intense, and soon she was unable to take even another step. Looking down, she saw a dagger sticking out of her chest, the hilt and hand-guard modified into a pair of spiked brass knuckles. Looking back up, she still had the gun aimed at the man, but was unable to pull the trigger, due to the extreme pain raging through her body._

"_Tara! No!" She faintly heard Yuffie call, just as her knees buckled, and she fell down onto them._

_Her vision then began to fade, and she could make out the blurry image of Yuffie falling onto her knees as well, reaching behind her and pulling out... she did not know what, before she fell over, and remained motionless._

_Tara fought through the wound, trying to muster up enough rage to avenge her apparently fallen friend, but found she could not even speak. The final thing she remembered from that moment, was the aforementioned foreigner standing directly above her. Then darkness overtook her sight, and she blacked out._

_She suddenly felt life in her limbs again, and she slowly rolled over onto her back. She lay there for a few minutes, letting feeling return to the rest of her body. Then she sat up, grabbing her chest where she suddenly remembered the knife hitting her. Pain followed, and she winced. She parted her combat gear and slowly pulled up her shirt, to observe the contact point. The point was bandaged with white cloth and sterilized, with only a few splotches of blood staining the cloth._

"_What... the... hell...?" She said, then attempted to stand up, expecting to fail._

_Surprisingly, she felt the same as normal, and didn't have to struggle to stand. She pulled her shirt back down, re-fastening her outer gear, and tried to make sense of what was now going on. A clump of brown hair fell over her left eye, most of which was caked and matted with blood and other such things._

_A quick check of her surroundings, she was in a heavily wooded area. And judging from the position of the sun in the sky, it was sometime after nine in the morning. She listened, and only heard the faint chirping of birds, and a running stream. There was no gunfire, no shouting, nothing. When she turned again, something caught her eye. It was a set of footprints, leading away from where she had woken up. Before she followed them, she checked herself, and breathed a small sigh of relief when her pistol and knife were still at her sides. She then followed the tracks, and after a few feet, the brush cleared, and what she saw caused her to do a double take. There, arranged in a neat pile, were two duffel bags. Tara approached carefully, suspecting this to be a trap. A quick check revealed no foul play, but instead the bags were full of clean cloth, bandages, even things like sterilizing cream, flint, medicinal herbs, even what appeared to be an emergency flare gun. _

_She then heard a soft moan, and quickly drew her pistol, whirling around towards the noise. As silent as she could, she moved through the brush, and soon discovered two men in tattered, black suits, laying face-first in the dirt. She recognized them as Turks, and rushed forward. She rolled the redhead over first, gently, as he appeared to be the most injured. She grimaced at his injuries, as half of his face was burned, and his stomach and chest were severely cut and gashed in several places. Moving on to the bald one, she halted in moving him, as his right arm was twisted into an awkward angle. Like the other, this man was likewise cut and scratched, but the most severe injury seemed to be his arm._

_She quickly stood up, and ran back from where she came to retrieve the two bags full of medical and survival supplies. Right then she was not concerned with how she survived the battle, or where the supplies had come from. Her medical training took over, and she knew she had to save these two men in any way that she could._

_Using her survival training from boot camp, she cleared the area around the two fallen men, saving left over dead shrubbery and branches, to produce a fire. Digging deeper into the bags, she discovered a cast iron pot. She dug further, hoping to locate a bottle of water, but to no avail. Then she remembered hearing running water earlier, and trained her ear on it's location._

_Over the next two hours, Tara had set about setting up a makeshift camp, gathering water into the pot and hanging it over a small camp fire. Once the water was boiling, and she sterilized her knife, she went through the grueling task of digging shrapnel and bullets from the two men, remembering to dress the wound with crushed medicinal herbs and cleansing gauze, then patching the wound with the cloth. It surprised her that neither men did more than groan softly when her knife dug into their flesh. Rather than thinking too much into the reason, Tara was grateful that they didn't require any form of morphine or anesthesia. She then dragged both men onto makeshift beds, not far from the campfire, and nodded in accomplishment. Now all she had to do was wait._

_After a quick check of her own body for further injuries, she had decided that next she would have to find food. Who knew when these two men would wake up, or if they even would. But if they did, surely they would appreciate a hot meal. She checked both men one final time, then removed her pistol and knife, and started out of the clearing. Not only did she have to hunt, but she had to scout the surrounding area for potential enemies._

* * *

><p><em>~ ' ' ' [end flashback] ' ' ' ~<em>

* * *

><p>"...and that's all I can remember," Tara finished, stabbing a piece of meat with a branch, passing it to Reno.<p>

Reno accepted it, but held off on eating for a moment, "So let me get this straight, chick... You woke up in this clearing, all patched up and good to go, and you just HAPPENED to find bags full of supplies?"

The woman nodded, "I told you that you wouldn't believe me."

"And... where exactly the hell are we? Because the last thing I remember is my partner here," he gestured towards Rude, "yanking me out of a burning helicopter seat. But I haven't seen or smelled any smoke, don't hear any gunfire..."

"Well we're not anywhere near Fort Condor, but if you head that way through the trees," Tara pointed, "you can still see the smoke from the battle."

Now Reno bit into the rabbit. It was hot, and delicious, "So we're out of harm's way then! We just gotta hitch a ride with somebody. Or if push come to shove it's a long ass walk back home."

Now Tara's face turned dark, "It's not gonna be that easy, Reno."

"Why the hell not? I don't see the complication!"

The woman shook her head, "You really don't know a thing about the outdoors, do you? You see that smoke? That's north. Meaning we're stuck BEHIND enemy lines."

Then the realization slowly sunk in, and Reno suddenly wasn't as hungry as he was before, "So how the hell are we supposed to get home?"

Again she shook her head, "I don't know, and its going to be even harder with you guys' injuries. But we also can't stay here forever. We're fine for now, but there's no means of a permanent shelter, and the wild game won't always be in the pot. Plus..." Here she drew her pistol, removing the magazine, "I only have five bullets, plus one more clip... then that's the end of it. And besides, who knows if or when the Brotherhood will discover us?"

"Okay, I get it chick! Damn!"

"And anyway, we can't do anything until Rude wakes up."

Reno scratched the back of his head, "So, someone obviously put us, and I guess you here, for a reason. We weren't this far out from the battle when our chopper was going down, far as I remember. You said that weird foreign guy was standing above you before you passed out... think it was him?"

"I doubt it. He either seriously harmed or killed Yuffie... and I'm sure she was more important to him than me. Why would he help me, or you two for that matter?"

"I don't make any sense, chick. Think about it. If one of them militants found us, they'd have either put us in a cell or slit our throats. The WRO or our bosses or friends wouldn't just dump us in the woods with a bag of stuff."

Tara stood up in frustration, "We'll probably never know, Reno. But that's not important right now. What's important is staying alive and getting back home."

Just then, Rude made another sound, and started to roll over onto his right. Tara and Reno were both on him in a second, pushing him back onto his back, for fear of him making his right arm even worse. For just a moment he slipped out of his stupor, and apparently realized there was a pair of hands pinning him down. In a panic the man lunged straight up, his left fist shooting out and clocking Reno in the side of the head. Thankfully, it was the side not bandaged up.

"Ow! What the fuck, Rude!? It's me!" He yelled, clutching at his head that now throbbed more violently.

Rude blinked a few times, wildly looking around the clearing. His trademark sunglasses were missing. "Shit... sorry, partner." He then locked eyes with Tara, "Who are you? Where are we?"

"Sergeant Tara Norfolk," She said. "We're somewhere south of Fort Condor."

Rude opened his mouth again to speak, but was interrupted when Reno placed a bowl of stew in his hand, "Just eat, pal, and don't move that right arm much. She'll tell ya all about it. But I'm telling ya, you won't believe a word of it!"

It only took a few minutes for Tara and Reno to re-tell her story to Rude, who also had sense eaten two more bowls of the stew.

"So what do we do now?" Rude had asked.

Tara stood up and began to gather up supplies, returning them to one of the duffel bags. "You two get dressed, and then we start heading for home."

"And... you expect me to travel with THIS?" Rude asked, glancing down at his right arm.

"It's either that or you can stay here. I'm sure the Brotherhood will be more than happy to take care of you!" The woman said with extreme sarcasm. Once she finished gathering everything, she threw one bag at Reno's feet, hoisting the other onto her back.

"Come on, buddy," Reno said, extending a hand and helping Rude onto his feet. "The sooner we get home, the better!"

"...where are my sunglasses?"

Reno erupted in laughter, as Tara fished them out of her jacket pocket with a grin, and handed them to the bald Turk.

"Let's get moving," She said after the laughter died down, "We have to do it quickly, and quietly."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note<strong>: And so the plot thickens... hmm. Hope I'm not disappointing... too many people! Anyway, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my good friend Denise, both for coming up with the name of this chapter and for being the biggest Turk (Reno especially,) fangirl I've ever known.


	19. The Next Steps

**-Chapter 19-**

**The Next Steps**

* * *

><p><em>Graffiti decorations under a sky of dust, a constant wave of tension on top of broken trust. The lessons that you taught me I learned were never true, now I find myself in question,<em>

_(They point the finger at me again,) guilty by association, you point the finger at me again. I wanna run away, never say goodbye. I wanna know the truth instead of wondering why._

_I know know the answers, no more lies. I wanna shut the door and open up my mind. Paper bags and angry voices under a sky of dust, another wave of tension has more than filled me up._

* * *

><p>"Oi there! What's taken so long for me drink?"<p>

Tifa snapped out of her trance, realizing she had still been holding the liquor bottle to serve the customer a drink. She mentally kicked herself, and forced a smile to the man, "Sorry, sir. One Golden Chocobo shot coming right up!"

She instead mixed two drinks, though the man had only paid for one, "Second one's on the house because you had to wait. Enjoy." The man mumbled something under his breath, downing the first shot in one gulp as she walked away. Tifa knew she wouldn't be getting a tip from that man.

It was mid-afternoon, and she had decided to open the bar to serve people, if for no better reason than to distract herself. The last few nights, she found sleep harder and harder to come by, as her nightmares kept her from resting peacefully. Even now, every time she closed her eyes, she could see the battle clearly. The flashes of gun muzzles. The screams of dying men and women. The howling of the Brotherhood's pet monsters. And the blood. All of the blood. Constantly, she berated herself, for being so weak-willed. She and her friends, had been through so much worse in the past. Why then, was this last battle so different? Together, she, Cloud, and the others had saved the world against certain doom. Tifa had quickly realized that war was different... being forced to kill another human being who wants to kill you changes one's train of thought. Often, she sat up late at night, Cloud sleeping soundly (or so she assumed) beside her, wondering what the ultimate point to life was? All the point of life is to ultimately end, and that the world was full of people who killed mercilessly.

She also remembered one very fresh memory, not two days ago. Cloud had caught her in a state of brooding, and when she confessed her worries of the point of life, he had told her something she would never forget.

"_Yes, ultimately we all die, whether by the sword or by old age. But life isn't how many breaths you take; it's the moments that take your breath away. Yeah, there's bad things in the world. But there's some good things too. And that's the ultimate point to life, Tifa. To fight for the goodness, and for what you believe is right."_

She instantly smiled at the memory, as she wiped another glass clean and put it in it's proper place. What kind of life would she live, if all she did was wallow in doubt and regret for what she had to do on the plains of Fort Condor? Even her last phone call with Barret rang clear in her mind,

"_Tifa, calm down girl! You had to do what ya had to do!"_

He was right, those men were evil to their core, and they deserved exactly what they got. Another memory came to her then, one she would certainly take to her grave. When those three men had attacked her and the children. Had Cloud not intervened that fateful night, she did not doubt that those Brotherhood lackeys would have killed her and the children. Were the men she killed any different than those three? Likely not, though she did sometimes wonder what they were all like before the silver-haired man appeared. How many of them had families? Children? Loved ones? Were they truly evil at heart, or felt that they would gain something better for themselves, allowing themselves to be brain-washed by a cut-throat lunatic?

Tifa did not know, but that night at the bar was still somewhat fresh in her mind. Quickly, Tifa diverted her memory to the more pleasant event that night. When all pride and stubbornness was eliminated, all barriers between her and the spike-haired blonde blown to smithereens. Now the woman blushed, remembering what else happened that night, and the joy of it. She had no idea Cloud could move like that, or that she could do the things she had done for that matter! She had to turn away from the few patrons at the bar and allowed a stifled giggle, feeling extremely foolish but nevertheless grateful for the brief moment of bliss.

Right then, heavy bootsteps from the stairs pulled Tifa from her nirvana, Cloud slowly coming down them. He had a messenger bag over his shoulder, one of his blades strapped to his back, and the motorbike's keys in his left hand. In the past, very rarely did Cloud ever openly wear his weapons in the bar. With everything going on, he now was rarely seen without at least one on him at all times. Once he looked up and saw Tifa, he walked over, leaned over the bar, and kissed her softly.

"Heya, stranger,"

"Heya back," she replied with a smirk, "Where are you going?"

With a sigh, Cloud took a seat at the far end of the bar top, declining the coffee pot Tifa had offered him, "Gotta take a letter to the other end of Edge, then off to the WRO building."

As if on cue, Vincent suddenly appeared in the doorway leading to the back of the building. He leaned against the partition directly across the room behind Cloud, nodding to the female in acknowledgment.

Now Tifa felt a bit worried, "What's going on?"

Vincent answered, "Rufus personally called early this morning. Post-battle meeting is being called in an hour."

Cloud glanced around the room, noting the curious glances of the other patrons. He wondered if they all knew the importance he, Vincent, and Tifa had played in the battle. He then looked back to Tifa, "What do you wanna..."

"No," Tifa cut him off, "Bar's already opened, can't just throw them all out now. Besides..." Here she paused and looked down for a moment, then back up, "I think I've had my fill of Rufus and war this week."

Now Cloud looked sullen, even concerned, "I can stay here if you want."

Tifa shook her head, "No, one of us should be there. Better you than me, probably." She forced a giggle, "A little extra gil doesn't hurt, and I needed the distraction anyway. Go ahead, Cloud. I'll be here when you get back."

The male felt a wave of warmth wash over him; she truly was perfect for him. She just had a way of taking away all the bad feelings and making him feel... normal. As though she were the perfect combatant for all the horrible inner demons he still faced, including the new ones. He didn't exactly know it right then, but he was also a sort of warrior for her own personal demons. They simply got each other, and knew just what to say to pick the other back up. He couldn't hide his smile, stood, and again leaned over to kiss the woman he loved, his childhood friend.

This time Tifa cupped his cheek with a gentle touch and, even as their lips parted, she let her touch linger. Her ruby eyes shone, and if she had wanted to force herself to not smile, she'd have failed miserably, "Go. I love you."

Cloud grinned, slowly pulling away, "Love ya too," and followed Vincent out the front door, shutting it softly behind him.

Once they were gone, she sighed happily, and a couple of the bar patrons began to whistle and clap, genuinely happy for her happiness. Tifa again blushed and turned away, quickly mixing another drink for the next customer.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>Rufus, using a new walking cane to support his strides, hobbled into his office, where the designated meeting was to take place. Around him, much of the space was still wrecked, a result of an outraged burst after the failed retaking of Fort Condor. Holes were in the wall, though the broken glass and other such things had been cleaned, and his wrecked desk was replaced by another. Stepping closer, he found that Reeve, along with two WRO marines were already there, waiting for him.<p>

"We've got a problem, Rufus," Reeve said as the president came closer.

At first, Rufus pretended he didn't hear him, didn't even look the man in the eye as he hobbled past him, to take a seat in his high backed leather chair. A minute of uncomfortable silence passed, Rufus idly shifting through some paperwork on his desk and Reeve awkwardly clearing his throat for emphasis. The two marines never did so much as blink, but stood quietly, rifles slung over their left shoulders. Only after another minute had passed did Rufus lean back, and look up,

"At this point, I'd say we have a lot more than one problem, Reeve,"

Reeve winced, but held his ground, "Cid called me last night,"

Rufus raised a brow, "What, 'commander' Highwind? I already checked in with him three days ago."

But the other man shook his head, "Somehow he found out about the situation with Yuffie. Suffice to say, he isn't too thrilled and will likely be in Edge within a week."

Rufus sighed, rubbing his temples, "I knew I put too much faith in that man. Still holding onto the past and only thinking with his spear! What about the operation?"

"It appears the one called Luke is in charge now."

"And that is supposed to mean... what exactly?"

Here, Reeve adjusted his tie, though not nervously, "Production actually seems to have increased in Cid's absence."

Rufus narrowed his eyes, "Then it doesn't sound like a problem at all. Is he angered that we didn't personally inform him of the Wutai girl's disappearance? Let him be angry, then. It's a sad thing, of course, but you know you and I've bigger things to concern ourselves with."

Reeve hated to agree, but knew that it was the truth. When first he read the reports of the missing ninja, he had mentally broken down. While still not declared killed in action, the thought made his stomach curdle. A disgusting waste of such a young life it would be, and if the girl turned up dead, he wasn't so sure he could live with himself; it was his idea that Yuffie take part in the operation in the first place.

A small intercom on Rufus' desk buzzed, forcing Reeve back to attention.

Rufus pressed a button on the device, "What?"

"Sir, Strife and Valentine are here," Tseng's voice crackled over the small speaker.

"You know the drill, Tseng," and clicked the device off.

A minute later, the double doors were thrown open, Tseng and Lysa walking abreast, Cloud and Vincent following close behind and not looking at all amused. Before they got close, Rufus stood up, motioned for Reeve to follow, and stepped to the doors in the back of the office. Using his cane, he pushed one door open and continued to walk, Reeve following close by, followed by Tseng, Lysa, Vincent, and then Cloud. Rufus then motioned to the elevator, pressed the star button with the end of his cane, and gestured for every one to enter. All did as such, Rufus being the last one inside. The two previous marines remained on either side of the now closed elevator door.

When it did close, Rufus turned to Cloud, who was the closest to the control panel, "Well, don't play ignorant now, Strife. I believe Reno had told you the password before this madness started."

Cloud shot the other blonde a scornful look, but nevertheless put in the appropriate password. The elevator shuttle rattled for just a moment, then began its slow descent.

The battle had taken a grim toll on all involved, and now it showed more clearly than ever before. Six faces, grim and glaring at one another, sat around the circular table in the heart of the bunker. The surrounding computer terminals had all been switched off, the overhead screen showing a still image of the map of the world.

"I don't think I need to say, we are in quite the predicament," Rufus said sullenly.

Cloud scoffed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, "I didn't come here to listen to you state the obvious, Rufus. What's being done about Yuffie?"

Reeve again winced at the mention of the ninja, and Rufus held up a hand and spoke next, "In due time, Cloud. Right this second we need to..."

He was interrupted, Cloud suddenly shooting to his feet and banging his fists on the solid table, "Yuffie is my friend!" He motioned to Vincent, sitting two chairs to his left, "OUR friend! I don't care that you only think of her as another pawn in whatever game you and this silver-haired man are playing!" Cloud's rage continued to boil over, going so far as to pick up a chair and hurl it across the room, to shatter against the wall. This action caused the doors to quickly part, two marines rushing in. Reeve waved them away, then dismissed them. Tseng lowered his pistol, as Cloud felt the leather grip of Vincent nearly crush his arm, and force him to sit down.

"Is this how you're going to help her, Strife? Eh?" Lysa suddenly said, her palms folded together in front of her, "By throwing a tantrum and breaking someone else's stuff?"

If looks could kill, Cloud's expression would have ended the female Turk's life right there.

"Enough, Lysa," Rufus huffed, slowly standing up and shoving Tseng aside, who had attempted to help him stand, "I understand that my actions have caused a sort of... rift between us. A trust issue, as it were. And for that, I apologize.

"You don't have to tell me that sorry doesn't fix anything," Rufus continued, "but honestly, what do you expect me," here he paused, gesturing to Reeve, "us, to do? Shall I devote all of our resources to finding one single girl? Shall we disregard recovering the bodies of the soldiers who we know for certain died that day, denying their loved ones their own closure? Tell me, Cloud, since you're the expert here." The final part he said with extreme sarcasm.

Cloud winced, trying to hold his anger in check. He glanced to Vincent as if to look for an answer, but the crimson-clad gunman only shook his head. At this point, his entire body was shaking, "It'd be selfish to disrespect the dead and their families. Since you guys have your hands full, I'll lighten the load."

Rufus, who was still standing, leaned forward curiously, "Oh? What do you mean, Cloud?"

The other male let his gaze linger down to his hands, which he flexed several times, to hear the leather of his gloves stretch. Then he suddenly looked up, locking eyes with the president. "If you won't look for her, then I will."

Reeve was on the topic in a heartbeat, "Cloud, I understand how you feel, but we need you here,"

"How do you understand, Reeve?" Cloud snapped, "How can you know how any of us feel?"

Now, Reeve's face darkened, which surprised the blonde. Never had he seen the other man wear such a look, "She is my friend too, Cloud," he said in a voice that made Cloud swallow his anger, "I know her just as well as the rest of our comrades."

Cloud forced himself to look away, and a silence hung in the air. Then Tseng cleared his throat and spoke, "While we're not dismissing the problem with the Wutai girl, if we argue about this all day, the Brotherhood will run over all of us."

"Tseng is right," Rufus agreed, finally returning to his seat, "It's time we decide what we're going to do next."

Cloud suddenly felt that he didn't care about any of it, and allowed himself to space out.

"...Cloud!"

He looked up to find the source of the shout. It was Reeve, who spoke again, "Did you hear me?"

"...huh?"

Reeve shook his head, "I said, what sort of role do you want to play in this?"

"Do I honestly have a choice in the matter?" Whatever came to be, he had only one plan: to find Yuffie.

Reeve continued, "You're as fine a fighter as this world has ever known, but maybe you're done with fighting for now?"

"Don't try and act like you know what I want or how I feel, Reeve," Cloud spat. He pondered getting up and leaving right then.

Before the situation became heated, Tseng intervened, "We know you still run the delivery service, Cloud. What the director was suggesting is..."

Rufus cut the head Turk off and finished for him, "From our past meetings, and given the outcome of the last battle, I'm assuming you're loathe to put any more of your loved ones in danger." The man paused a moment, to scratch his chin, "So keep them from the front lines, and assist us in other ways. There's plenty of messages and small parcels that need to be delivered with as much haste as possible. This way, you stay out of harm's way and keep close to your little family."

"And what about Yuffie?" Cloud said, eyeballing all four of the people across the room. Lysa sighed annoyingly, and received a dirty look from both her superior Turk, and Reeve.

"If you want to look for the girl, you'll have to do it on your own time, Cloud," Rufus said, as if the situation was problematic for him, "You have to look at the bigger picture here."

Now the blonde's anger boiled over again, and up he stood, "And maybe you're looking at too big a picture, ShinRa! It must be nice, to be able to discard human life so you can meet your own ends. To have no compassion for anyone other than your own agenda!"

Now it was Rufus' turn to boil over. The president instantly stood up, moving around the table towards the other blonde. In his hand, he brought his walking cane to bear, as though he meant to stove the man's head in. Cloud, in question, also began to advance, intent on wringing Rufus' neck.

In an instant, Lysa and Tseng had their grips on Rufus, and Cloud was snatched backward by the collar of his vest, by Vincent.

Rufus continued to try and get to Cloud however way he could, but his Turks kept a firm hold on him, "You talk good and well, Cloud, accusing Reeve of knowing how you feel and desire. What then, do you make of your accusations towards me?" He shoved both Turks aside, but made no further advancements, "How do YOU know how I feel? You hold onto your old hatreds and feelings toward me and my company, to placate your own insecurities!"

"And who's fault is that, Rufus?" Cloud shot back over Vincent's shoulder, who had positioned himself between the two blondes, "Look at everything you've done. Even during the Geostigma crisis you lied to me, and everyone!"

Rufus allowed himself to laugh, the noise filling the room and slowly growing louder, "And thus my point is proven! I truly pity you if all you can do is hate me for crimes I've long since atoned for!"

"Goddamnit, **ENOUGH**!" Reeve suddenly shouted, startling the five others. Slowly, everyone returned to their seats, and the man continued, "Fools, all of you! Fighting like siblings while war wages outside our door. Small wonder the Brotherhood doesn't murder us all so easily!

"Cloud," Reeve continued, after catching his breath and finding his cool, "I'll personally organize a few friends of mine and put them on Yuffie's trail. Bounty hunters, trackers, the like. Some of them owe me a favor or two."

Vincent stood up with a huff, "Easy enough to place a secondhand problem into a lesser caring person's hands," then turned, and left the room. No one made a move or said a word to stop him, though Cloud still considered following the man out.

"You forget, Strife," Lysa piped in, "we've lost friends too. What about Rude? Or Reno? We've lost all contact with them as well, and they're likely dead. How then, are you, or the head honcho here, any different?"

In truth, Cloud had never considered that, so caught up was he in his grief of Yuffie going missing. Now, he considered Reeve's words, and Rufus'. After the hellish battle, he definitely didn't want Tifa anywhere near another war zone. And Tifa, still as stubborn as he, would follow him right into another battle when it happened. Perhaps then, delivering important messages, reports, whatever it was for Reeve and the army would be a better choice. If not a permanent one, it seemed a better, temporary alternative then leaping into another fight.

He decided then, though he hated to even consider it, there was nothing he could personally do for Yuffie at the moment. He simply had to trust in Reeve, and hope that Yuffie was all right.

"_Now you play the coward, Cloud? Just like your old self," _Sephiroth's voice suddenly laughed in his mind.

Cloud shook it off, and slowly stood, walking towards Rufus, who also rose up. Tseng and Lysa moved closer to the president, hands on their pistol grips.

Then Cloud surprised every one by extending an open palm to Rufus. Rufus considered this a moment, then tentatively gripped the others hand, and shook it firmly.

"Right, enough of the past. Only thing it's good for is to learn from it and move on," Cloud said.

Rufus nodded, "Agreed."

Reeve began towards the door, grabbing a business file on his way out, "Right, I'll get those groups on Yuffie's trail right away, Cloud. Don't worry."

"Reeve, wait."

"Yes?"

Now Cloud stood in front of Reeve, also extending an open palm. "I'm sorry. For snapping at you earlier."

Reeve nodded, shaking hands with the blonde before turning and leaving, "War is a stressful business, Cloud. Don't worry about it."

Once Reeve was gone and the door was shut, Cloud turned to Rufus, "Anything that needs delivering, I'll do it. But if a major fight breaks out..."

"You're not obligated to do anything at all, Cloud. I certainly wouldn't keep you from protecting your family." Rufus replied.

Cloud nodded, "And in the meantime?"

Rufus shook his head, "Our informants and spies haven't reported anything new, lately. For now, the army is keeping a firm hold on Junon, and the city. I fear that this war isn't even getting started yet.

"Before you leave," Rufus went on, "There are some other things you might want to know..."

* * *

><p>Reeve stepped out of the elevator, quickly muttering goodbyes into his cellphone and returning the device to his pocket. As he rounded a corner to step through an entryway, Vincent suddenly appeared, startling the WRO CEO and blocking his way.<p>

"Vincent! What are you..."

"You and I have things to discuss, Reeve."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>The leader stepped further out onto the balcony, high atop Fort Condor, his hair and the folds of his robes caught in the breeze. Small flurries of snow continued to fall, and the man pulled his robe tighter around himself to block the cold. Far below on the plains, the snow had been melted in some places, and bonfires scattered around the area around the fort. As new recruits continued to pour in, the fort quickly became crowded, so to compensate, perimeters were set four miles in all directions surrounding Fort Condor, and camps made. He took in a deep breath of air, and slowly exhaled, allowing himself a short chuckle, then turned around.<p>

The topmost level of the fort had been constructed into another makeshift meeting area, with a large square table at the center, beneath a dark tan teepee like structure. Before stepping into the large tent, he looked up at the highest spires of the fort, once proudly flying the flags of the former residents of the place. Now, the black flags of the Brotherhood waved menacingly, the silver stitching of JENOVA's head a truly evil sight. The man again chuckled, and stepped into the tent.

Edward, Reij, and Tormuj stood on opposite ends of the table, and even Hammerhand had sat cross-legged on the far side of the space.

"Right, look's like the gang's all here!" The leader said with a laugh, drawing a short chuckle from Edward.

Reij was slowly chewing on an apple, clearly not amused, "What's up next, boss-man?" He said between bites.

The silver-haired man leaned over the table, unrolling a large map of the continent. "That, my minions, is why you are all standing here now. Mr. Cross?"

Edward moved closer, removing an orange marker from inside his combat vest. He began to draw straight lines, east to west, on an area he explained was about eighty miles from Fort Condor, "We managed to get the jump on a supply caravan headed from here," Pausing, he circled a tiny area east of Edge, the furthest point on the map, "and we assume it was going here." Again he paused, and circled Junon, on the map.

The leader nodded in approval, "And? What's the plunder?"

"Nabbed a good bit of ammo and even a few rocket launchers," Reij answered, taking another bite from the fruit, "Fucker's didn't even see us coming!"

"Mortality rate?" Again the leader asked,

"Out of fifty men, we lost a quarter of them. The WRO put up a good fight, considering there was only about thirty of 'em." Edward confirmed.

"Good, good. Hmm. Strange that the WRO is allowing us to raid their supply trains so easily. Has all the equipment been checked for foul play?"

Edward reached up, idly scratching the ropey scar that stretched across his face, "Far as we can tell, everything is normal."

The silver-haired man pondered this a moment, "Too easy..." He whispered to himself, then spoke louder, "Perhaps they're baiting us into a trap."

Reij laughed, "Or they're not taking us seriously! Bunch of pansies if ya ask me!"

"Don't be an idiot, Reij!" The leader suddenly yelled, "Your recklessness is going to get you killed one day, and I'm not entirely sure I'd be sad of it!"

Reij glowered at his leader, he receiving an equally evil look in kind.

"Have you something to say, Reij?" The robed one chuckled, "Do you wish to strike me? I only wish that you were stupid enough to do it!"

Just then, the tent flaps flew apart, and a soldier rushed in, "Your Evilness! I..."

"Do you want to die, peasant? How dare you interrupt my war council!"

The soldier gulped, and took a step backward, "Apologies, sir! But there are two people here, a man and a woman, say they wanna join the cause!"

"What do you make of them?"

"Honestly sir, they seem kinda... loopy to me. Couple of sword-fighters. And their eyes... they ain't normal."

The leader waved the man away, "These 'loopy sword-fighters' as you say shall have to wait. This isn't a casting call! And disarm them; you know how this works, peasant."

"Aye, sir!" The soldier saluted, and then he was gone.

"Right, moving on." The leader went on, "I think it is time to expand our horizons, but first," here he turned to the bronze-skinned, leather-clad shaman, "Tormuj. The girl?"

Tormuj idly shifted his weight, twirling one of his daggers around in his palm, "This one fears little has changed, your grace," He flipped the dagger twice in the air, caught it, and resumed the twirling, "She is strong-willed for her young age."

Now the silver-haired man turned his gaze to Edward, "And have you upped the ante?"

"To ten, sir," Edward replied quickly, "I've used everything I could find. Hammer and nails, straight razors, fire, all of my tools, even rocks! She just won't talk!"

"And her condition?"

"Barely conscious, your grace," Tormuj put in, "This one has healed her as requested, but it seems your grace's orders for her to wish she were dead, appear to have come to fruition."

The leader laughed, as though it were the funniest thing in the world, "Good! She will crack eventually."

"Still think you ought to let me deal with 'er, boss," Reij chuckled,

"You only wish to... ah, how did that one soldier put it? 'Dip your stick' or something like that? No, Reij. I already have plans for you."

Reij feigned interest, and moved closer, as the leader took from Edward the orange marker, and circled once twice, five times the intended target. "Time to expand our horizons, as I've said. And I believe we've recovered enough from the last battle that we can successfully strike the next blow." Again he circled the area, and everyone, including Hammerhand, leaned closer to look at the map.

Junon.

"Edward, if you would." The leader said.

"My little snitches have told me that most of the WRO are holed up there, and it also appears to be the last line of defense for Edge itself." Edward explained,

"Basically," The leader took over, "Once we wrangle control of Junon from the World Regenesis heathens, we can walk right into Edge and proclaim ourselves the true masters of this planet!"

But Reij suddenly wasn't so sure, "Hold the hell up. You said MOST of them are there? Sounds like a suicide mission to me."

"What's the matter, Reij?" The leader chuckled, "I thought you loved a good slaughter."

"Sure! But only if I'M the one doing the slaughtering!"

"Don't be a coward, Reij. Besides, there are only two ways out of this merry band. Death by the enemy, or death by me. There's no room for spineless dogs in my ranks. Don't worry, Edward and Hammerhand are leading the siege as well. And I'll permit you to carry your baby, the Geo-Leviathan along to make it easier."

The oversized mutant, Hammerhand, perked up at the mention of his name, "K..kiiiiill...enemiiiiiessss...g..looory to...Brotherhood..." He said in a gargled, drowning sort of voice.

"Hah! You see? Hammerhand is not afraid and he fights with nothing but his hands!" The silver-haired man remarked with another laugh. "Go, the three of you and begin preparing. You march within the next sunset."

Edward saluted, Reij spat upon the ground, and Hammerhand gurgled excitedly, then all three of them exited the tent.

"Your grace... are you sure it is wise to march again so soon?" Tormuj dared to ask. He was still twirling his dagger about.

"Tormuj, do you know that I've killed men for lesser things? Your constant questioning truly irks me, and I'd love nothing more than to cut out your tongue!"

The bronze-skinned man bowed low, arms arcing out wide, "Apologies, your grace. This one merely assumed one was free to give council to this one's leader, such as sir Cross! Is that not one of the points to a... 'dream team' as it were?"

He was of course referring to himself and the other liuetenants, Reij, Hammerhand, and the acting general, Edward.

The leader laughed, "Dream team, eh? I like it!" His laughing abruptly stopped, and he had a dark look in his eye, "When I want council, I shall ask for it. Never forget that, foreigner. Now, get out of my sight until I need you again. And tell those idiots inside to send these two new recruits in."

"As you wish, your grace," Tormuj bowed again, then exited the tent.

A few minutes later, the leader heard the nearby double doors, leading into the compound, creek and slowly part. He then heard two male voices conversing, and a third, female voice as well. Then the scraping of a metal blade exiting its sheathe was heard, followed by an agonized scream, and a swathe of blood spatter hitting the side of the tent.

The flaps once again parted, and a pair entered slowly. The identical nature of the pair was outstanding. Both were the same height, perhaps five-foot-eight, with milky pale skin, and long-silky hair, the color of a raven's wings, and the same length and style. Their clothes also matched, each wearing a pair of black leather breaches, (though the female's hugged her hips and legs very generously,) black boots, and a strange sort of robed top, like a Japanese haori, the sleeves were black, but the areas around the chest and midsection were white. But the most prominent feature, were the eyes. Tinted with red around the edge of the iris, and flecked with pale yellow flecks. The male had a curved blade belted on his right hip, the female's matching one on her left.

The leader eyeballed the two, as four soldiers rushed in from the back, guns brandished and aimed at the new arrivals. Leaning to the side, the silver-haired man found the source of the previous scream, a militant grasping a bloody stump where his right hand used to be tightly to his side to stem the blood.

"In many scenarios, this is a piss poor way to make a good first introduction!" He said to the two, while in truth he found it extremely amusing.

"Sorry, sir," The male said in a cool, calm voice that sounded like threaded silk, "He tried to take my precious weapon from me!"

Now the leader laughed, quickly waving the soldiers to stand down. For some reason, he did not feel threatened, and already decided these two would be a valuable asset to the organization.

"I am Sonnia," The female said in a matching, collected voice, bowing forward slightly.

"And I'm Sinnah," The male put in, though did not mimic the courtesy of his counter-part.

"And we are the Twin Blades of the West!" They both said in perfect unison.

The silver-haired man grinned.

* * *

><p>"Sometimes I wonder if that asshole really knows what he's doing!" Reij spat, stomping down the stone-floored corridor. At his side, Edward marched on, the slow, lumbering footsteps of Hammerhand three strides behind.<p>

"Feh, what does it matter?" Edward asked, "We're his soldiers now, and either we do as commanded or we die. We all knew the risks when we signed up."

At that, Reij suddenly halted in his steps, shooting a hand out to grasp the other man's shoulder, and force him to turn around, "I'm not some little halfwit that rolls over like a dog."

Edward smacked the hand away, narrowing his eyes at the light-haired demolitions expert, "Be careful, Reij. I'm still your superior officer." Behind them, Hammerhand looked on curiously.

Reij laughed, "Hah! Don't kid yourself, Cross. You ain't in the ShinRa army anymore. I know your secrets."

"What the hell are you..."

"Don't play stupid with me, Cross. I'm not obligated to do what that poser says, but you definitely are. Every time he snaps and you cower like a child, I can see it in your eyes. He's holding something above your head, isn't he?"

Edward shifted backwards, a vein surging in his temple, wanting nothing more than to kill the man. "We all have our reasons for joining the Brotherhood. Revenge, monetary gain, power... or in your case, little more than simply wanting to kill. My reasons are none of your business, and you'd do well to remember that." Then turned and stormed away, Hammerhand thumping along after, and Reij sneering into both of their backs as they left.

Reij walked further down the hallway, when two soldiers in matching demolition gear, stepped around the corner and hailed him.

"Lieutenant Reij! The Geo-Leviathan is gassed up and ready to move out!" One of them said.

"Finally. And everything else?"

"Preparations are already in place, sir. Trucks are being loaded now," The other soldier said.

Nodding, Reij walked past the two, gesturing for them to follow. He was still seething about the last encounter with the boss man, and now set about ways to somehow get back at him. If indeed he wasn't going to come back from Junon, he wanted to make sure the silver-haired freak's little campaign exploded all around him.

"What do you think about the situation, sir?" One of them asked, pulling Reij from his pondering.

He stopped and glared at the one who spoke, "What do I think? I think the moron who's leading us is way in over his head! Do either of you idiots think the WRO's just gonna let us stroll right into Junon?" He threw up his hands in frustration, and punched the nearby wall. Then he paused, and grinned.

"Not that it matters. With the Geo-Leviathan, I'll make short work of them. And I have something else in mind..."

"Orders, lieutenant?"

Here Reij turned to face the two soldiers, a darkness in his eyes, and still an evil grin on his face, "Our leader claims he doesn't care for that Wutai girl, but he's keeping her alive for some reason other than information. A bargaining chip for Wutai's loyalty, maybe?" Here he stopped, crossing his arms and pondering that possibility. "Get rid of her, boys. We can blame it on either Edward or that freak Tormuj."

Both men grinned ear to ear, "Hey boss, can we have some fun with her first?" One asked hopefully.

"Haha! Why not?" Reij sneered, "I'm not sure what I'm more pissed about, the fact that idiot is sending me on another suicide mission... or that I can't join you boys!"

The soldiers joined in his laughter, and started to walk away, when Reij stopped them, "Wait. Find your other friend, and tell him to get in touch with me before we move out. I got something else in mind. As for the girl... wait until after it gets dark and the army moved out."

The two soldier's then left down the corridor, Reij exiting through a side-door. Once all was quiet, a hooded figure peeked around the corner, then quickly, though quietly, started after the two soldiers.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed without incident at the Seventh Heaven. Customers came and went, though a steadier concentration came and lingered once the sun had went down. The room was just over half full, and most conversations were pointless chit-chat, though a smattering of folks continued to gossip about the Brotherhood, and other such things. Tifa glanced over her shoulder at the moogle clock, it was just after nine in the evening, and still there had been no sign of Cloud. She merely brushed it off as the meeting must have taken a lot longer than the previous ones. For just a moment, she had wished that she attended this meeting, but was confident Cloud would fill her in once he returned.<p>

She brought a small tray with a single plate of food and two drinks to a young couple at the far end of the bar. The young man smiled to her, hastily reaching for his wallet and paying her, then went back to conversing with the other woman. Tifa smiled as she walked away, catching the last bits of audible conversation; it was obvious the young man was attempting to court his date. "Enjoy it while it lasts, you two..." she whispered, looking one last time to the couple, then returning to her work.

Who then, was to say that the Brotherhood wouldn't eventually come to Edge? She witnessed their brutality and their strength first-hand, and like everything that had happened thus far, it was very possible. She quickly shook off these thoughts, declaring to herself that if they wanted to fight on her home turf, she would do everything in her power to stop them. As would Cloud, Vincent, Reeve, and the WRO.

Just then, a burly man stood up from his seat, dead center of the bar, "I wanna buy the entire Seventh Heaven a shot, Miss Tifa!" He bellowed, followed immediately by a chorus of cheers and applause. The large man then pointed directly at her, "Ya gotta take one too!"

Tifa giggled, shaking her head but lining up a row of shot glasses after doing a quick headcount, "I don't drink, sorry sir! Plus I'm working!"

The man nearest her faked a pout, "Aw c'mon Tifa! It's just one!"

Then every patron in the place began to rhythmically bang on the tables and bar, chanting, "Tifa! Tifa! Tifa! Tifa! Tifa!"

Finally, she relented and added an extra shot glass and filled it to the brim, "Okay, okay! Just one!" She laughed. It seemed a long time since she actually laughed.

The original burly man stood up then, and yelled as loud as he could once every one had their glasses, every one of which (Tifa's included) were raised into the air, "Let's toast to the heroes of Edge! To the WRO, and driving these Brotherhood assholes into the sea!"

As one, the entire bar shouted "Here, here!" And downed their drinks. Tifa was smart to not let hers hit her tongue, and swallowed it immediately. The burning alcohol hit her stomach and she felt warm, fuzzy, and lightheaded. She shook it off and took a long gulp of water, then received the rather large payment for the drinks from the man. After that, the atmosphere was more boisterous, with everyone talking loudly and about happier days. Even Tifa had a slight spring in her step, and wished Cloud had been there to share that moment with her.

For the woman, the joy would be extremely short-lived.

Not long after, the door swiftly opened, Tifa looking up and instantly recognizing who just entered, "Vincent! How'd the meeting go?"

The man paused halfway across the room, nodding his head sideways to indicate the back of the building, then vanished through the door. Curious, but not worried just yet, Tifa followed, the bar patrons still conversing loudly. When she rounded the kitchen and entered through another door, she found Vincent pulling a leather satchel from a storage closet, and began to stuff a few of his things into it, such as extra gun magazines, and a few materia.

Now Tifa started to grow worried. "Vincent, what are you doing?"

He did little more than cut his eyes to her, and only for a moment. "Leaving."

Her heart dropped down to her stomach, and she moved closer, "What! Why? What happened at that meeting with Rufus?"

Vincent didn't say anything at first, stepping further back into the storage space, and collecting a couple more items and placing them in the satchel. Tifa's anxiety spiked, and she considered several worse-case scenarios. Including Cloud being the next one to walk through the door and make the same proclamation that he was leaving. Unable to handle that particular thought, she grabbed the man's shoulder and forced him to look at her, "Damn it, Vincent! What happened?"

He narrowed his eyes dangerously at her, and for a moment thought she had gone too far. Before she could apologize, he spoke, "I'm going to Wutai to tell Godo of Yuffie's disappearance."

"What about the WRO? What are they doing about it?"

Vincent huffed, shouldering past her, she keeping right beside him, "Reeve is putting the task in a group of bounty hunters. Rufus seems indifferent as to whether she is found or not."

'Not surprising,' Tifa thought to herself. "And Cloud?"

Vincent stopped mid-stride, then fully faced her, "Cloud was ready to run off and find her on his own accord. Reeve and I convinced him to listen to reason. He's staying here to work for Rufus. He'll tell you everything I'm sure." And continued to walk, exiting the space and stepping through the main bar.

Tifa was stunned for a moment, then quickly collected her thoughts and ran after the man. She threw the front door of the bar open, and caught him just about to vanish into the darkness, "Vincent, wait! Please!"

He halted, turning around as she ran closer, with a questioning look.

"We can all deal with this problem together. Does Cloud know?"

Vincent shook his head, "Not until you tell him. Also, I won't stay here to witness what might happen next."

That struck the woman as odd, as it sounded like the man was running away from a fight! "What happens next?"

Vincent took a step closer, now speaking in a hushed tone, "Cloud's mind continues to deteriorate, Tifa. Strange that you haven't noticed."

"I don't..."

"Think about it."

And think about it she did, slowly remembering and re-evaluating everything that had happened since the Brotherhood attacks began.

"_Something evil stirs in his mind, Tifa. There is something... clouding his mind. You must help him overcome it. __I fear this time it will take more than the mere support of his friends to help him defeat this inner evil. Love, perhaps, is the key.__" _The gunman's words rang clear in her mind now, as did her response that day, mere months ago.

"_Wait... you said 'inner evil.' You can't be talking about... **Sephiroth** are you?" _Even as this memory hit her, another one instantly came to mind. After the failed retaking of Fort Condor, Cloud had fled the scene, he later revealing that he went to the old slum church. 'To clear his head' he claimed.

"Something else happened, not three days ago," Vincent's voice interrupted her thoughts. He continued,

"The night you discovered Cloud on the downstairs couch... he had been convulsing, muttering in his sleep. When he awoke, he still thought to be wielding his weapon... he shouted to Sephiroth that he would kill him."

Tifa at that moment refused to believe that it was anything more than a nightmare, "Maybe it's just memories. Don't you get nightmares, Vincent?"

"Every day is a nightmare, Tifa. Perhaps it's nothing... but still. Thought you should know."

Tifa started to speak again, but he cut her off, changing the subject, "I spoke with Reeve, and set certain things into motion; he doesn't entirely disapprove."

"What things?"

"Come the week, two of our friends will arrive. Reeve expects things will fall into place after that."

"And if they don't?"

Vincent shrugged, "Yuffie deserves more than what Reeve can currently offer. Maybe Reeve's men find Yuffie, alive or dead. Either way, her father deserves to know. You remember the battle, Tifa. The WRO may not be a match for the Brotherhood; they... we, need more allies."

Now she looked down, feeling that it was pointless to try and convince the man to stay. He did, however, have a point. If Wutai could be persuaded to join the war effort, they would stand a better chance against the enemy.

After a long silence, Vincent scoffed, reaching into one of his pockets and placing an object into Tifa's hand. She opened her fingers to reveal a silver ring, the top of the band carved to resemble the three-headed dog, Cerberus.

"I'll be back for that," Was the final thing he said, before slinging the leather pack across his shoulder, turning, and walking away without looking back.

Tifa watched him go for a long while, until she could no longer make him out in the deepening gloom. Sorrow overtook her, sad that yet another good friend was going away, all because of the damn war. The damn Brotherhood. She looked down at the ring again, admiring the craftsmanship and quickly adding it to a small silver chain she wore around her neck. On this chain was Cloud's own Fenrir ring, a simple gold band that Barret and Marlene had given her before they left for Costa del Sol, and now Vincent's own ring. The chain was comforting, knowing that even though her friends were gone for different reasons (excluding Cloud, of course), she had a piece of them all with her, and that they'd be reunited again. Her one regret right then was that she did not possess a trinket of Yuffie's, and the clutched the three rings and chain in her palm. Yuffie would be found... she would see the younger woman again.

Then she remembered something Vincent had said, though she didn't catch it when he did.

'Two of our friends will arrive.' What exactly had Vincent convinced Reeve to do? And who was coming?

Tifa stood there a moment longer, pondering this, when a sudden cold wind blasted her, forcing her to return to the warmth and safety of the bar. However, there was no safety from her sadness.

When her phone suddenly went off, she thought to not check it, but something urged her to. It was Vincent's phone number, a text message reading very simply:

'I'll be in touch.'

She managed the smallest of smiles, comforted that the enigmatic gunman still indeed, had a cellphone.

But what about Cloud, and his nightmares?


	20. Fluctuating Darkness

**-Chapter 20-**

**Fluctuating Darkness**

* * *

><p><em>My name is equal to that of destruction, my kingdom is built upon the ruins of holy demise. The gods are brought down by the hand of a mortal<em>

_My name will spawn legends as I ascend to the skies!_

_Through time and space we travel dimensions for eternity. We walk the path of the ancients and leave mortality_

* * *

><p>Several hours had passed, before the silver-haired man called his lieutenants and Edward Cross back to the outside meeting area. The large tent had been broken down and stored away, and now a ring of torches illuminated the entire balcony, including the square table. It was dusk now, with only a few fleeting hints of orange and pink in the sky. Far below, a long row of several armored vehicles and soldiers waited for the orders to move out. The leader, however, decided that a very small delay couldn't hurt, as he wanted to see the reactions of his cohorts, regarding the two newly arrivals. The leader sat in a high backed chair resembling a medieval throne, to his right stood Edward and Hammerhand, and to his left, Tormuj and Reij, the former of constantly shifting his weight, as if nervously. And before the 'throne' standing in the middle of the torch light, the robed twins Sinnah and Sonnia.<p>

"Neither of you have the look of any nationality I can think of," the leader said at length, closely inspecting the two as distance and the flickering light would allow, "Tell me, from where do you two come from?"

It was the female, Sonnia, who spoke first, "We come from a land far away to the west. Further I'm sure than any soldier here has ever seen."

Reij snorted in arrogance, "Not even five minutes and this bitch is already making assumptions?" The look he received was of pure hatred. Though, from both twins, and not just Sonnia. Reij held the stare for a long minute, then laughed, "I think I like her after all! But don't I got more important shit to worry about right now?"

"Quiet, Reij," The leader scolded, as though a parent to a child, "Apologies, miss. Our friend here is famous for his loose tongue." He shifted in his seat, "Of where you're from, I guess it doesn't matter. Come closer, both of you," and gestured with both hands.

The two did as ordered, each taking five perfectly synchronized steps forward, then stopping. It was the male, Sinnah, who next spoke.

"When do we kill, evil sir?" This he said with a snickering undertone, and began to twitch excitedly.

Tormuj seemed to scowl, but Edward, taking notice of the twitching, spoke, "Are you okay?"

Sonnia shook her head, her silky black hair curtaining her left eye, "He gets excited from the thought of any form of conflict."

The leader scratched his chin, thinking, "And... are you both... stable? Because if I have to worry of either of you lashing out and killing my own men, I'm afraid there will be little use for either of you!"

Sinnah continued to giggle, "Whatever do you mean, your evilness?"

Edward answered for him, curtly, "You cut the hands off one of my best men for following protocol and disarming you before you came before our leader. What was that about?"

Sinnah only briefly stopped his demented snickers, though it was clear he was trying his best to do so, "As I said before, sir! He tried to take Slash away from me!"

Reij allowed his own laugh, "The hell is a Slash?"

Hoping for such a question, Sinnah wrapped his left hand around the red-wrapped hilt of his blade, and quickly drew it out. The weapon was thin and curved, resembling a scimitar. The blade itself was a dark, deep red color, flecked with trails of black lines. "Slash!" He yelled for emphasis, looking proudly and affectionately at his weapon, as though from one lover to another.

The leader clapped, and joined in Reij's second roar of laughter, "I love it!" He then turned his eyes to the female, "And you, my dear?"

A moment later, Sonnia reached for her own sword with her right hand, quickly drawing it out and holding it horizontally. Mirroring her twin's weapon, it was instead a pale sort of pink, but had the same trails of black running down the blade, "This is Nymph," She said proudly, though not arrogantly. It was also a scimitar.

Before another word could be spoken, the twins jumped in opposite directions, toward each other, Sinnah moving in the back and Sonnia in the front. They landed, standing where the other had been standing, then repeated the motion, this time Sinnah in the front and Sonnia in the back, and were originally where they were just seconds ago. As one, they raised their weapons and, still facing the others, clashed their swords together, forming a crooked **X**. The 'clang!' was a solid note, and a bright spark briefly illuminated the area.

"The Twin Blades of the West!" They shouted together.

The silver-haired man nearly fell off his seat in excitement and amusement, rising to his feet and stepped towards the two. "An amazing spectacle to be sure! Tell me, why do you two look so alike? Siblings, I assume?"

The two re-sheathed their weapons, and threw one arm over the other, "This is my twin sister," Sinnah said, as if stating the obvious.

"We were birthed at the same time, sir," Sonnia went on, speaking to the leader, "We shared a womb. We're two halves of the same person. There is only one person in this disgusting world that I love, and he is standing right next to me."

Before another word could be spoken, the twins faced each other and pressed their lips together, in a passionate gesture that, indeed, two siblings should not share. Such as what the Brotherhood hierarchy each thought, wearing their own disgusted faces.

Even Hammerhand leaned backward, placing a giant palm across the mouth-holes in his mask, "Eee...eww...www.." he gurgled.

At that, both twins snapped a deadly glare at the oversized mutant, Sinnah taking a single step and reaching for his weapon. Edward drew a pistol and aimed it at the man, and Tormuj ripped two throwing knives from his belt. Sonnia quickly gripped her brother's shoulder and ripped him backward, standing closer to the others.

"I don't expect any of you to understand," She said, and as her eyes fell on each member, they were that of disgust, undermining her own actions just now. When they fell on silver hair however, they softened a bit, "I wasn't aware one's personal relationships affected their fighting prowess, or what they could or could not do."

No one but Tormuj heard Reij's snide comment, "Little different when ya fuck your own family, ya damn freak... I swear if a two-headed baby pops up around here..."

The leader waved everyone else off, "Such things don't matter, of course. But I'll know this. Why do you choose to join the Brotherhood?"

Sinnah now stepped forward, though remained perfectly at the side of the other, "Killing is what we love to do, and what we're good at, sir. With everything your band has accomplished so far, yours seems the obvious side to choose!"

Edward spoke next, "You could kill just as many of us if you went to the WRO. Afraid you're gonna have to be more specific."

"We come bearing a mighty gift for a mighty leader," Sonnia cooed, then turned and stepped towards a small chest, making sure to swing her hips, and even held her position a few seconds longer than necessary, once she bent over to pick up the chest. Both Reij and Tormuj noted the hungry glint in Sinnah's eyes, and had to force themselves to not gag.

She stepped back into the circle of torches, opening the small chest after placing it on the ground in front of her. Sinnah bent down and removed a single item: a materia, the same shade of red as his own weapon, dark red. Inside the materia, wisps of black smoke danced, twirled, and expanded then shrank again. He then held it towards Edward, who came forward, accepted it, then handed it to the leader.

"What's this, then?" He asked.

"A mighty gift for a mighty leader!" Sinnah echoed, then giggled again.

"It is a tainted materia, from the furthest, darkest region of the west." Sonnia said,

"The significance of it is what?" Again, the leader asked,

"It's a summon materia!" Sinnah laughed, "Used to bring forth 'Yarzagorth the Gorefiend'! A lesser demon of the ancient world!"

"And what would I want with a LESSER demon?" The silver-haired man laughed, "I only want the strongest of anything that joins my army!" At this, Sinnah looked angered, and again stepped forward, intent on harming any one of them. Again, Sonnia ripped her twin backward, and gave him a shove, then a kiss, for good measure, before turning back to the others.

"I assure you, sir, the Gorefiend is as powerful an entity as you could wish!" She gestured to Hammerhand, "Even that one would have a hard time defeating him!"

Hammerhand, in question, rose challengingly, a guttural growl escaping from under the helmet. He was stopped, with Edward harshly tugged on his wrist, forcing him to sit back down with a ground-shaking 'thump!'

"Okay, I think I've had enough of you lot," The leader proclaimed, standing and motioning to the four figures behind him, "Begone, all of you. Reij, Hammerhand, Edward. You already have your marching orders. Burn Junon to the ground!" Without another word, the three turned and entered the main entryway to the fort, and were gone. "And Tormuj, I want you to..." But a quick inspection of the surrounding area revealed that the shaman had already dismissed himself.

Tormuj was gone before the final syllable of 'begone' had escaped the leader's mouth.

Angered, but deciding to deal with the rogue later, the leader turned to the two twins, after examining the tainted materia once more. The day the dark color illuminated in the torch light, throwing shadows from the black smoke inside against the background was a marvelous sight indeed!

"A mighty gift is right! My thanks, to the both of you." He smirked, "Take the praise and treasure it, for it's not often given around here!"

Sonnia bowed forward, Sinnah only nodding slowly.

"When do we kill, sir?" Sinnah asked again after a moment.

"Soon enough, good Sinnah. In the meantime, I think I have another task for the both of you."

Sonnia nodded, the faintest hint of a smile on the corner of her thin lips, "The Twin Blades are now yours to command, sir. Just tell us what to do."

The silver-haired man began to slowly pace one way, then the other, concocting an evil plan. He weighed this decision with that, pondering the potential consequences, then suddenly laughed. "Hahahaha! I got it!"

The twins stood at readier attention.

The leader threw the map of the continent on the table and gestured the two to come closer. "Move out with Edward and the others. Before they get to Junon," here he pointed to the coastal city on the map, "I want both of you to go here," and now pointed to Edge City.

"To deal with a certain bar maid. I'll send a message to Edward and have him explain the rest as you travel. Quickly now, the army is about to move out!"

The two then turned and vanished into the darkness, but instead of exiting through the main door, they leaped over the edge of the balcony, Sinnah's insane giggling following all the way down.

After they were gone and all was silent, save the crackling of the torches, the leader's mind again went back to the 'tainted' summon materia. Again he brought it eye-level, stepping closer to the whipping flames to closer examine it. He decided to test the limits of this materia, no longer able to resist his own curiosity. He stepped out of the torchlight, and moved to a small desk nearby. Opening a drawer, he reached in and produced a six inch thick steel cuff with a circular slot beneath the wrist. He snapped the band on, then jammed the dark red orb into the slot. Closing his eyes, he felt the dark magic surge suddenly, almost violently, through his body. Thinking for a moment he was toying with something beyond his abilities, he gnashed his teeth and harshly sucked in a breathe of air. His body trembled, and he dared open his eyes. The materia gave off a pale red glow, wisps of black smoke flowing from his arm to gather in a small sphere in his open palm. As the final trails of smoke joined the sphere, a thin blast of black energy shot from the smokey orb, striking the ground not twenty feet away from the silver-haired one. The longer the energy lasted, the smaller the black smoke shrunk, until finally the energy was spent and the smoke gone.

At first, nothing happened, and the leader thought this a mere parlor trick, a toy for children to play make-believe. Just as he turned and began to storm away, the area the previous energy beam struck began to glow a faint white. All around this tiny glowing speck, five feet in all directions upon the dirt, pale blue lights lit up the ground, forming into circular glyphs, more mysterious runes and symbols filling the circles. What followed was a faint rumbling and, as the white speck grew larger and brighter, the rumbling intensified. Finally, the spell peaked, the once small white light now forcing the man to shield his eyes. The ground suddenly split in two, perfectly down the center of the runes and glyphs. However, instead of the ground simply giving way as something broke the surface, the chunks of dirt, rock, and brick rose straight upward, and bobbed harmlessly midair. Then a faint roar, belonging to nothing in this world, ripped through the commotion, forcing the silver-haired man to look. Though the light was still blinding, he could not look away, and could see a large, horrible looking shadow rise up from the light upon the ground. An unknown wind blasted the man's hair and cloak backward, his lips pulling back into a wide grin as the shadow continued to rise up, stopping just at the twelve foot mark. The entire time, he felt the materia drain at his energy, and he continued to feel weaker and weaker. Despite that, he kept the spell going, wanting to see this mighty summon with his own eyes, though it was now hard just to stand.

Then the blinding light and the glyphs faded away.

The creature roared a mighty sound, having not walked on the surface world for many, many centuries. It was a bipedal humanoid, all of twelve feet tall, standing on two powerful bowed legs. It was covered in matted black fur and skin, almost looking akin to a werewolf. Possessing two sets of arms, the dominant pair was thick, covered in gray scales, ending in a pair of large pincers, resembling a crab, or lobster. The most curious thing, the leader noted, was at the base between both sets of pincers, was a single eyeball, tinted red and flecked with golden flecks. Beneath these arms were the second set, simply being humanoid like arms and, while not as thick as the dominant arms, still flexed with thick muscle, the fingers ending in wicked talons. The ape-like head turned this way in that, it's canine maw parting to reveal not one, but two rows of razor sharp fangs. Behind tiny and pointed ears, ram horns twisted and spiraled outward, then inward, the tips stopping just above the glowing yellow eyes.

It spoke in it's native language, which loosely translated to, "Who dares to summon the mighty Yarzagorth!" It apparently had yet to take notice of the human standing just a few feet away.

The silver-haired man held very still, making sure to not appear afraid, then clicked his tongue for emphasis.

Now the demon took note, taking a single step which thundered loudly, and shook the ground. It repeated the sentence, which of course the human did not understand.

"I'm afraid we don't speak the same language, mighty demon!" The leader yelled.

The glowing eyes narrowed, and the demon took a second, then a third thundering step forward, raising one of its great clawed hands to cleave the impudent mortal in two. But something was wrong. It's great mind had desired to kill the human, but its body would not move, and remained frozen in place. It took a step backward, then attempted to lunge again. But like before, the creature was unable to carry out the command. Changing tactics, the fur and flesh around the chest of the demon parted, revealing a fifth eyeball, the size of a dinner plate. Yellow energy began to crackle and snap around the eye, the iris widening as it gathered the electricity, none of which seemed to singe or otherwise harm it. Once the attack was fully charged, the demon released it, certain that it would burn the human to a pile of ash. An unseen force suddenly jerked the demon backward, aiming the fifth eye into the air, and the electric blast shooting harmlessly into the skies, blasting apart the carved face of the condor high above.

The silver-haired man grinned; he remembered his research of summoning any form of beast with a materia.

Frustrated but equally curious, Yarzagorth used its second vision to examine the tiny human before it, looking for anything magical in nature. Then it found what it was looking for, the materia clasped to the man's wrist. The demon could feel a part of its own spirit tied to the object, and knew at once why it could not attack the man.

It's eyes narrowed even further, Yarzagorth quickly devised another means of communication, and allowed a mental probe to extend outward to touch the leader's brain, and established a psychic link.

"_So you are the one who has called me to this plane. Where then, is the carnage?" _The leader heard the demon's booming voice in his head.

"In good time, all powerful Yarzagorth! I received your materia as a gift, and simply had to see you for myself!" He cackled, "Welcome then, to the Brotherhood of the Planet!"

Yarzagorth understood immediately, nodding its great head. It seemed the devious scheme was coming together perfectly.

"You shall be my instrument of destruction! The doom bringer to my enemies!"

The demon growled lowly, _"I am not a tool for a puny mortal to toy with. _"

Here, the silver-haired man narrowed his eyes, "I am in command of your corporal form, you disgusting abomination! If I command you to throw yourself from this very cliff back to the abyss you shall do it!"

Yarzagorth roared again, both sets of pincers clacking together mightily, producing a terrible sound. It ran forward, each step booming and nearly knocking the man to the ground. It continued to think of not harming the man, knowing that to do so would again freeze it to the spot. It stopped before it's apparent master, again clacking the pincers hard together.

"_You know not to whom you speak, you pathetic human! Fortune smiles upon you because the ancient magics prevent me from harming he who commands my spirit." _Yarzagorth then growled again, as if to emphasize its point. _"But as with all things, there are loopholes to be circled around. Do not push me so far, or you will be in for a terrible surprise."_

All the leader could do was laugh, long and hard. It was mostly to hide his own still growing fatigue, for the entire time the materia continued to sap his strength. He feared revealing such a thing to the demon would show his own weakness, and that is something he wouldn't stand for. Sweat began to bead his forehead, and he quickly turned away from the demon.

"Your threats are all empty, mighty Gorefiend! You belong to me now!" And magically dismissed the demon. It's great body slowly dissolved into a thick black smoke, which in turn shot back into the materia on the man's wrist. Instantly, the tugging on his energy released, causing him to exhale harshly, painting to re-catch his breath. A mighty weapon indeed, though one that taxed his own prowess. He wondered then how much worse the drain on his body would be, when he sent the monster into battle?

He shook his head, forcing a chuckle as if to reassure himself. He would learn to wield the summon materia, and would perfect it. Right then, he truly felt invincible. Below, the convoy began to slowly move out, soldiers marching alongside the trucks, headed for Junon.

The leader watched this with a glint in his eyes, "And so the cogs of war turn yet again..." He whispered into the darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>~` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>Yuffie again opened her eyes in an attempt to look around the room, something she had done multiple times since her capture. It seemed mere moments ago that the psychotic Edward had finished torturing her. Her body now sported new scars, including a few burn marks that would likely never go away. Even then she could feel the hot slash of the heated blade, or the searing pain from a fistful of hot rocks being placed on her stomach. She winced at the memory, but forced herself to not cry, knowing it would do no good. From breasts to hips she was covered in dried blood, burn marks, and cuts. Most of them, however, had been stitched and otherwise treated by the shaman, Tormuj.<p>

And just who the hell was that guy anyway! Their last encounter had been more frustrating than confusing, because he always spoke in circles! He had taken part in her torture, but was apparently also ordered to clean up the mess and even heal her afterward. They had fed her and gave her water (also given to her by the dark-skinned male), and when he spoke to her, it was never unkindly.

"_This one is simply playing the cards this one was dealt, as it were!" _She could still hear him say, after one of their last encounters. It was something she replayed in her head constantly, even while she was screaming from the torturing.

She had to hold on to some glimmer of hope that maybe this man was just as much a prisoner as she was.

Groaning, she again shut her eyes and let her hazy mind wander. She thought of Cloud, and Tifa, and all her other friends. She desperately wished she knew what had happened at the apparent failed retaking of Fort Condor. Were her friends okay? Had they survived? And most important of all, what were they doing to try and find her?

She had to hold on to the glimmer of hope that also, they were trying to look for her, and that they would find her.

Her mind then went to Reeve, and here she began to spiral down into sorrow. She had promised the man that she would not be reckless, and that she wouldn't get herself killed or otherwise. The sorrow continued to well up until finally, she allowed herself to silently sob, thinking that she had let all of her friends down. That she might not ever see them again.

She had to hold onto a glimmer of hope that this was not the end. It couldn't be!

The table to which she was still strapped to, remained in the horizontal position, so she was laying flat on her back, her feet and hands perpendicular to the floor. Yuffie mused that this might be the only form of comfort she would receive, otherwise when the table was vertical to the floor, she was essentially hanging from her wrists by the chains. She found herself falling further and further into despair, having never felt so helpless as she did now. Assuming all of her friends were still alive (they had to be!) they were all out there still, fighting for their lives and the lives of others. Meanwhile, here she was, feeling like a scared little girl, unable to do anything but suffer through the torturing of that whack-o scarred guy!

The metal door suddenly flew open, clanging loudly against the wall and causing Yuffie to jump in fight, at least as far as her chains would allow. She looked up to see two men enter, grinning ear to ear, and unfastening their combat gear to throw it to the ground.

Despite her welling fear, she had an idea of what to expect, and forced a look of grim indifference, even trying to spit at the two men, "Well, get it over with you sick ass psychos!"

Yuffie's assumptions as to what was coming next were far from what the two had in mind.

The first of the two, a tall but lanky man with a goatee stepped forward and promptly backhanded her across the cheek, leaving a red mark, "Shut up, bitch! This'll all be over soon if you play nice!"

The second, short and slightly pudgy, laughed as he stepped closer. Yuffie's eyes grew wide with fear when she realized that this second man was unfastening his pants as he moved.

Then the real fear struck her.

"No! NO! You can't do this!" She yelled, flailing against the bindings holding her down. The chains rattled with a loud obnoxious sound.

"Keep the little bitch quiet already before someone hears us!" The second man hissed. A second later, the first man had pinned her arms down flat, preventing her from moving.

"STOP! I'm begging you! I'll tell you anything you want!" Now the woman cried freely, unable to contain the stream of tears that now flowed down her cheeks. At the whim of a madman, her most precious gift was about to be stolen from her!

"You think we give a damn what you have to say, slut?" The man pinning her arms down whispered into her ear, giving her inner lobe a disgusting lick after. Yuffie had tried to jerk away from the moist tendril, but was unable to.

With most of her physical strength already gone, she now turned to pleading whimpers, her words choked in between her sobs, "Please... you don't have to do this..." Then in that moment, her sadness was replaced by rage. She arched her back, then thrashed wildly, knocking the man on top of her aside for just a second. Her shout came out as a screeching, ear piercing noise, "**WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE TO YOU SICK BASTARDS!**"

Of course, this did little to deter her attackers, the first man again pinning her down, though had to struggle against the girl's wild thrashing. She was strangely strong despite her punitive figure. Then Yuffie felt the other man rip, tug, and then finally tear her shorts from her body, leaving only the black undergarments behind. Again her rage spiked, and adrenaline fueled her actions, as useless as they were. Multiple times she shot her arms and legs out to ward off her attackers, and each time her limbs met with resistance, the iron around her ankles and wrists snapping back and eventually breaking skin. She felt none of the pain, only looking down just in time to see the other man between her thighs.

"Time to make you feel like a real woman!" The man said, as he climbed on top of the table and reached for the last layer of clothing around the girl's thighs.

_Thump!_

Yuffie heard it, despite the very faint sound. She looked past the man still holding her down, to see the man on the table paused suddenly. Even his friend looked over his shoulder and snickered, "Don't get scared now, man! Don't tell me this is your first piece in your life!"

_Thump! Thud! Thump!_

At each sound, the second man's body twitched, just slightly. Now sensing something was amiss, the first man finally let go of Yuffie and put his hand on the other man's shoulder, "Hey, the fuck's wrong with you, man?"

Even as the man was touched, he suddenly leaned to the left, turning and falling face first on the floor with a sickening sound. Yuffie did not see it, but the other man did.

There, sticking out of the second man's neck, were the hilts of four small throwing knives. Tiny pools of blood began to form around the obviously fatal wounds.

"W-What the hell is this!" The remaining assailant shouted. Yuffie, grateful for the momentary distraction from her, was suddenly again filled with dread as this man turned an angry glare on her, "You did some sneaky shit didn't ya! Well I'll teach ya to play games with the Brotherhood!" And before Yuffie could react, she felt his hands grip around her throat.

Now Yuffie knew that this was the end. The glimmers of hope she had held onto suddenly seemed to snuff out of existence, and gone forever.

A second later, a loud 'cu-clang!" sound forced the man away from Yuffie, to turn around. An iron grate, covering an air vent, was forced from the wall and fell against the ground. From the now open vent, a thin cloaked shadow leaped forward, and landed. Yelling in rage, the man dove for the shadow, bringing a gleaming machete to bear against the attacker. Yuffie, from the table, tears still slowly streaming, watched the spectacle. When the man swung, the shadow simply twisted to the left, a jagged dagger extruding from the blackness to slash at his midsection. Again the man lunged, but a second dagger appeared, slapping and pivoting the machete into a wide arc. Then, in what seemed like a mere second, the two daggers plunged, retracted, then plunged again, into the man's ribs a hundred times.

The shadow stilled, and the surviving attacker slowly fell backward into death, the entire front of his shirt filled with knife holes, already stained with fresh blood.

Yuffie was not sure if she should be afraid of this shadow, or grateful. Would it deliver a worse fate than what the now two dead men almost inflicted upon her? She did not know, and so remained perfectly still. The shadowed form then stepped closer, using tinder and flint to light the nearby torch, temporarily blinding her eyes, accustomed to darkness. When her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she looked up at her apparent savior, just in time for the figure to throw back it's hood. What she saw stole her breath in an instant.

Long raven hair decorated with beads and feathers, bronze skin, and deep set green eyes.

Tormuj.

"Apologies, Yuffie," He spoke, not in the false accent, "I had tried to get here sooner."

It took her a long moment to find her senses, and her breath. Finally, "You... you saved me. Why?"

He smirked, very briefly, "Why is not important right now. Let's just say, you're a very important tool to the upcoming war." He paused, chuckling, "Pardon, the war that is now underway!"

Yuffie wanted to continue to question the shaman, but suddenly did not have the energy. She was simply grateful that, perhaps, she had indeed found an unlikely ally. All of the rage and adrenaline had left her, and now she was more weary than before. "Thank you... Tormuj," She managed to whisper, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Don't be so quick to sleep, my lady," His stern voice suddenly brought her to attention. She didn't have time to question his statement, when she heard the 'whoosh!' of his dagger cutting air, then severing the chains holding her wrists with a 'clank!' and then the chains binding her legs. Though it took a few long seconds, Yuffie realized she was free, and bolted up from the table, attempting a mad dash to the door to freedom. As soon as her feet hit solid ground, they buckled, and she fell onto her knees, rolled, and landed on her back.

Tormuj was on her in a second, and she felt cold steel press against her neck. His voice hissed at her, "You must promise not to try and escape, for your own good!"

Yuffie flinched, not sure how to process everything that had just happened. He apparently freed her, but now held a knife to her? "What are you talking..."

"Promise me!" He again hissed through gnashed teeth.

Not seeing another alternative, she weakly nodded, "Promise..."

Tormuj removed his blade from her throat, then scooped her up bridal style, and placed the girl back on the table, "Wait here," He said, then knocked twice on the single door. Once it cracked open, he stepped out. A minute later he returned, carrying a tray and a leather bag, the bag he discarded on the floor. From the outside, someone shut the door, and Yuffie faintly heard the clinking of the sliding lock move into place.

"My lady, sit up."

Fighting through the fatigue and her still hazy mind, Yuffie did sit up, and opened her eyes. She was met with a tray across her lap, on which was a loaf of crusted bread, and a bowl of brown soup. Not entirely thinking, she dug into the bread hungrily, taking large gulps of the soup between bites.

After she was done, she pushed the tray away and brought her knees to her chest, eying the man across the room. "So now what? You want me to give myself to you for feeding me normal food for a change?"

Tormuj smirked, "Remember when I said I might could pull a string or two?"

Yuffie nodded.

"Reij ordered these men," Here he paused, and gestured to the two dead bodies still on the floor in pools of blood. Yuffie barely noticed them until right then, "to do those horrible things to you. I expected as much, and have already informed the head honcho."

Her eyes narrowed, "That supposed to mean something to me?"

"Seems my 'glorious leader' now distrusts Reij more than myself. You're being moved to a separate compound, one that Reij used to have control of, but is now controlled by me." Tormuj whispered, a mischievous glint in his eye. "You won't be free, but you'll be a bit more comfortable than here."

Yuffie suddenly wasn't so sure, and eyeballed the single door. Maybe she could escape. But assuming the made it past Tormuj and whoever was on the other side of the door... could she escape the rest of the Brotherhood?

Tormuj now stood straight, having propped himself against the wall, "I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter, my lady," And as he said that, bent down and picked up the previous leather bag, placing it on the table Yuffie still sat upon. He nodded to the bag, "Spare clothes for you to change into. I'm sure you don't want to go walking through Fort Condor in only your undergarments, do you?" He gave her a sly wink, before again tapping twice on the door and exiting through it.

Yuffie rummaged through the bag, quickly swapping out her old clothes for the new ones provided to her. Some areas were slightly larger than what she wore, but she didn't care. She left the old clothes in a pile, wanting to burn them. Then her mind went to the air vent, from which Tormuj had entered and saved her. Thinking she found her chance, she scurried over to it, finding the iron grate back in place, but reaching up and attempting to peel it free.

The grate did not budge. It had been welded firmly into place while the ninja was busy eating.

She cussed, but quickly weighed her options, few as they were. Apparently she had no choice in what was about to happen; that is, her being moved to a different compound. This new place was supposedly now ran by Tormuj, the closest thing to a friend she had found since her capture. Could it be a trap, another form of psychological torture? The man had, after all, been part of the torture, though far less than that creepy guy with the scar! She looked down at her old ruined clothes, then lifted her shirt to see the scars and marks, results of her torture. When Tormuj had taken part, he did seem to have the faintest bit of regret in his green eyes.

There was indeed no choice for Yuffie. Any place had to be better than that particular cell she was in.

* * *

><p><strong>~` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>Earlier that day, the trio had stopped around midday, having been following the trail since the sun had risen. Now they decided an hour or so of rest and food was much-deserved. While still behind enemy lines, they had covered a good bit of ground from where they had all started.<p>

Reno waded through the knee deep water, having removed his boots and rolls his pant legs up above his kneecaps. In his right hand he clutched his wooden spear, actually a tree limb that the redhead quickly fashioned when he first awoke in that clearing. Lacking a weapon and fearing a Brotherhood attack, he quickly crafted the weapon and had held onto it ever since. He stood still now, and waited, weapon poised to strike. Nearby, Tara and Rude stood on the riverbank, watching closely.

'Right, how hard could this be!' Reno thought to himself, and remembering to keep very still. Then he saw it, the dark silhouette of a rather large fish lazily floating along with the current. Reno then got excited, taking careful aim and... jabbed the spear into the water. The tip broke the water's surface and plunged down, but Reno held the weapon too tightly, and the wooden point missed the fish by a hair's breadth and instead struck mud. Despite this, the fish continued to slowly let the current take it downstream. That angered him and, not thinking, gripped the wooden spear with both hands and drove it into the water. Again he missed, he snarling in frustration and now chased after the fish, splashing all the while. The bottom of his foot caught a slick rock, which caused both feet to shoot out from under him. Before Reno knew it, he was submerged in water.

When he finally rose back out of the water, his hair had matted and now clung to his face, eyes, and lips. He spat out a wad of water just as he heard laughter, clearing his vision and giving a deathly glare to Tara and Rude, quite enjoying themselves.

"I thought you knew what you were doing!" Tara laughed, removing her combat gear and placing it aside.

"Shit! Let's see you do it since you're so good at it!" The redhead spat back.

Grinning, Tara kicked off her own boots, then started for the river after retrieving her own spear. Instead of wading into the water, she instead hopped up onto a nearby boulder. With the swiftness and grace of a feline, she jumped further upstream over rocks, to perch onto another boulder. Her eyes carefully scanned the water, looking for her prey. Then she caught the shadow, never hesitated, and hurled her three pointed gig. The weapon's aim was true, the momentum easily breaking the water and digging deep into the fish.

"Reno, if you don't mind..." Tara stated, coyly.

Reno waded over and snatched the weapon up, not one but TWO wiggling, writhing fish on the end of the weapon.

When they both returned to shore, Rude couldn't hide his amusement, "Damn, beaten by a girl. You're slipping, partner."

"Yeah, well... at least we'll eat good today!"

Over the next couple hours, Tara scaled, gutted, and prepared the fish for the spit, using a tree stump as her prep table. While that was being done, Reno and Rude set up camp, building a small campfire behind a line of trees, in case an enemy should be nearby. Tara had made a strong point that, especially at night, fires should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. Too easy it would be to alert any nearby militia to their presence, and then they'd all likely end up in body bags. So while the fire was kept as small as possible, extra care had been taken as to where it was burning. Reno, however, remained huddled as close to the fire as he could manage. After taking a plunge into the water, and with the air still somewhat cool, he was simply miserable.

After the three had ate, Reno assisted Tara in changing out Rude's bandages, his right arm still in a makeshift sling.

"How's it feel?" The woman had asked once the task was complete.

Rude gently wiggled his arm back and forth, wincing, "Seems to be getting' better, thanks to you."

"Yeah, glad you're with us, doc! We'd probably be screwed a hundred times over if you weren't."

Tara took the comments with stoic indifference, not wanting to let her own ego rise up and get to her. The only thing she allowed to cross her thoughts now, was getting back home, and finding out what happened to Yuffie. She stood up and moved to stand by the river, the gurgling water a pleasant sound. She sucked in a deep breathe of fresh air, and tried to enjoy the moment. The air was crisp and cool, and right there on that riverbank, nothing seemed wrong with the world.

"Yuffie..." She whispered aloud. If only she had known that the girl was less than fifty miles away!

She then reached into her shirt, grasping something she kept with her at all times. The tiny locket, that hung dead center of her chest, held a picture of her own family, her husband and their daughter. The other side was a photo of her and her own sister, whom was also a member of the WRO. She feared that she would never see any of them ever again.

"Yo, doc!" Reno's voice pulled the woman from her thoughts, and she turned around, in time for a large backpack to land at her feet, "Edge ain't gonna come to us! Let's get marchin', eh?"

The woman nodded, putting her outer attire back on, grabbing the bag, and following the two Turks into the woods.

* * *

><p>They trekked for many hours, always keeping the river to their left to stay on the proper course. Throughout most of the walking, the three kept silent, though the two Turks exchanged small banter, mostly about how the president, Tseng, and the others might be doing. Tara would throw in her own comments from time to time, but once the conversation steered to the Brotherhood, she withdrew into herself and didn't say a word. Like every one else, she had come to hate the militia, perhaps more than most. They had taken her from her family, friends; they had taken Yuffie from her. True that she didn't know the young girl that well or that long, but they had become fast friends.<p>

For Reno, it was a bit different. He still had his partner in crime, and he just knew that the president and others had to be okay. Still, he knew that these guys were evil, in ways that made the old ShinRa Company look like school girls. When they stopped to rest or eat, the redhead constantly replayed what had happened before the helicopter went down. Each time he thought about it, the images became more and more clear. Nothing had struck the craft from the outside. It had to have been something on the inside. Rude's weapon maybe? When he voiced his opinion to the bald Turk, he simply said that if it were the bazooka, it was a faulty equipment. A freak accident that normally wouldn't happen.

Reno wasn't certain; he had never known Rude, Tseng, or anyone from the company to leave 'faulty equipment' laying around.

As for Rude, he simply wanted his right arm to heal, then get back to business as usual: putting evil back in its place.

They marched well into the evening, even when they could scarcely make each other out in the darkness. Reno offered to light a torch, and Tara quickly shot that idea down. And a good thing too, because they all heard a noise, strange as it was. It sounded like... a truck?

"Oi! What's the plan doc?" Reno whispered through the darkness. Had it not been for Tara's white outfit, he would not have seen her.

"Come on, it came from this way," Tara also whispered, and the three moved off to the side, across the river and through a patch of shrubbery. They moved with haste, daring to hope that it might be a WRO convoy and they could hitch a ride.

But what the trio discovered was the exact opposite.

Peaking over the edge of the rock formation, they saw lines of trucks, soldiers marching alongside them in a straight line. The three were on a small cliff, overlooking a bowl shaped dell that ended with a jagged mountain range to the convoy's left.

"What's the plan here, doc?" Reno repeated.

Tara thought for a moment, glancing to the two men beside her, "Rude, can you move well enough?"

He nodded.

"Let's get closer."

And down they went.

* * *

><p>It was obviously no WRO convoy, but the Brotherhood themselves. Tara saw the insignia on the sides of the trucks, even spotted one or two of the giant flags, flapping in the end as it was flown from the back of the vehicles. Every soldier moved with grim determination, their faces hardened and their weapons ready. Then the ground began to tremble as a freakish large man trundled past them, not even twenty feet away.<p>

"Holy...shit..." Tara allowed herself to curse, watching the lumbering mutant that was Hammerhand walk by.

"Hey, I know that guy... he was at the battle at Fort Condor!" Reno said, louder than Tara would have liked, "I saw Cloud fightin' him! Thought Chocobo Express killed him!"

"Obviously not, unless he has a twin brother," Rude commented dryly.

Tara shook her head and continued to watch the spectacle as the army marched on. Over an hour had passed and there seemed no end to the stream of enemies.

"Where you think they're goin'?" Reno questioned.

"They're headed north," Tara answered, "They're either going to Junon, or... maybe even Edge."

"How... rude of them," Rude commented. Tara and Reno gave him a questioning look, "They started the war without us. Every one knows I have the best party favors."

Reno had to tightly grip his mouth to prevent from laughing, and even Tara managed a smile. It was only after the Geo-Leviathan lumbered by on the back of a behemoth truck did Tara finally move back, and started away. She was too familiar with that weapon, and knew that if the Brotherhood was finally employing it again, then something very bad was about to happen.

"Watchin' ain't gonna change nothin', boys. We still got a long ways to go!"


	21. The Siege of Junon pt I

**-Chapter 21-**

**The Siege of Junon**

**Part I**

* * *

><p><em>Now the dark begins to rise, save your breath, its far from over. Leave the lost and dead behind, now's your chance to run for cover. I don't wanna change the world, I just wanna leave it colder.<em>

_Light the fuse and burn it up, take the path that leads to nowhere. All is lost again, but I'm not giving in! I will not bow, I will not break, I will shut the world away. I will not fall, I will not fade, I will take your breath away._

_Watch the end through dying eyes, now the dark is taking over. Show me where forever dies, take the fall and run to Heaven. All is lost again, but I'm not giving in._

* * *

><p>It was a beautiful December morning, with the sun hanging lazily in the crystal blue sky, not a cloud in sight. Much of the snow had begun to slowly melt, though it would soon be replaced when the next snowstorm arrived; the sunlight reflected off the snow, throwing a bright glare into the rider's eyes. The motorbike sped down the road, the rider not paying any heed to his surroundings. A flock of chocobos digging through the half-melted snow to peck at the grass, all suddenly looked up at the approaching noise. As the bike passed, the ride dropped the transmission to neutral and revved the engine extremely loud, causing the flock of birds to scatter, screeching all the while.<p>

Cloud smirked at that, taking his mind off the task at hand for just a minute. The road headed east, to the far end of the continent, which was his destination. In the messenger bag strapped to his back, a pair of letters that he was charged with delivering to a compound. He was awake before Tifa, though made sure to wake her up just long enough to tell her where he was going. He then explained near everything that had happened at the meeting with Rufus, as she was asleep when he finally returned that night. He explained that Reeve was assigning his own team to hunt for Yuffie, how instead of fighting he was going to carry parcels and messages for the WRO army, and that he didn't want to leave her side more than necessary.

He had no idea that Vincent had told the woman of his nightmares, or that Vincent was gone.

She then woke up with him, saying she was going to open the bar that day. He allowed a fleeting thought that, things almost felt normal all over again. He working the delivery service, she running the bar, the children and she eagerly awaiting his return. Like they were a real family.

The contents of his bag, and the fact of the children being so far away, quickly shattered that fantasy.

After another hour, the military compound came into sight, and he only pushed the Fenrir that much faster. It was stereotypical, high fenced walls surrounded several steel and brick buildings. This particular outpost had been quickly built after the initial Brotherhood attacks, Rufus having directed the funds he WOULD have used to rebuild Edge, to building outposts such as this one. The road turned sharply to the left, and immediately to the right was the first gate, a 'road' of stones and pebbles leading to the main compound itself. Cloud rumbled up to the gate, stopping at the command of an armed WRO soldier.

"What's your business here, civilian?" The man asked. He couldn't have been much older than Cloud.

The blonde started to reach into his bag, but a pair of guns were aimed at him in a second, causing him to flinch.

"Don't move. Please, allow me," The soldier said, reaching a gloved hand out to the bag, which Cloud handed over. Normally, Cloud would have taken this as a sort of insult, and his flinching was the result of stemming that urge to fight back. He knew that with the impending war, it was better to be safe than sorry.

The soldier located the two letters, both sealed by a dried button of wax, bearing the WRO symbol. "Mr. Strife?"

Cloud nodded, and the soldier quickly returned the bag, and the letters, to him. The other two soldiers lowered their guns, stepped back, and looked shame-faced.

"Apologies, sir! We didn't know you were coming."

"I'm supposed to deliver these to... Commander Burkhalt?"

The soldier scurried over to a control panel, swiping a card and the steel gate parting, "I'll send word ahead to let you pass so this doesn't happen again," The soldier said with a hint of embarrassment. "After you pass the second gate, the commander's office is the last building on the far left. Hope you brought us some good news, Mr. Strife!" Then saluted, and stepped aside.

'Not likely,' Cloud thought grimly, revving Fenrir once then speeding off through the now open gate. Both sides of the 'road' were walled in by a chain link fence, over twenty feet high, that lead all the way to the main compound. He reached the second gate in less than a minute, passing through it with no trouble. Cloud had taken note that absolutely no chances were taken; both gates were heavily armed with soldiers, with trucks bearing mounted guns. Traveling from one gate to the next, there stood two tall watch towers, one on each side, with a pair of WRO snipers on each one.

Entering the second gate, Cloud parked the motorbike and clambered off, heading for the designated building, housing the recipient of his delivery. Some of the soldiers, both male and female, recognized him, and gave a half-hearted salute and a grin as he passed. Cloud did little more than nod in acknowledgment, afraid that if he appeared anything other than neutral-faced, he'd be giving them some form of false hope. While refusing to think there was indeed no hope, he remembered he was fighting more than one battle. That even if... no, when the Brotherhood was destroyed, there was still the other problem to deal with.

Stepping through the door, then through another, he was stopped by two more soldiers, though he presented these two with the sealed letters.

"Just a moment, sir," The female said, knocked twice on the door, then stepped through, "Delivery, sir. From President Tuesti it seems."

"Send them in at once," Cloud heard a booming voice say, then was ushered through.

The space was larger than it appeared, though it was crammed with metal business drawers, computer hubs, and other such things. Men and women, both soldier and civilian, rushed about to collect information then scurried away to relay it to the proper authorities. At the far end of the space was yet another door, opened, and flanked by still two more soldiers. These two gestured, and Cloud stepped through into a small office. He saw a man in the typical white and red uniform, though his chest was adorned with pins signifying his high rank. He was bald, with a graying mustache and short trimmed beard. He stood up at once as Cloud entered.

"Mr. Strife! I've heard a lot about you from General Warick! Please, sit!"

General Warick was one of the main commanders of the WRO army, and good friend to Reeve. He had been at the deployment of the army before they set out to attack Fort Condor, to give the soldiers a sort of pep talk.

"Commander Burkhalt I assume?" Cloud nodded, "Sorry, can't stay. Have more messages to deliver,"

"Ah, of course... what have you got for me, then?" Then received the letters, breaking the seal of the thicker envelope and quickly read it.

Thinking that his part was over, Cloud turned to leave.

"Hold it! Have you been made aware the contents of these letters?"

Cloud shook his head, "No... sir. Didn't think it was my business. I'm just the messenger."

Burkhalt re-read the letter just to make certain of its contents, then looked back to the other man. "Well, son, both the president and the... ex president seem to think you're gonna be our golden boy!" He chuckled, then cleared his throat, "That is, one of our best fighters! Maybe you should read this; I'm sure they won't mind, and are gonna end up telling you themselves when you get back! Might as well know now, but hey! You never heard this from me." Then handed the letter over.

Cloud took it, slowly looking it over. His eyes narrowed, examining every letter, and every word.

"_To Commander Thomas Burkhalt,_

_It has come to our attention through information obtained by undercover agent(s) that the Brotherhood of the Planet moves to strike Junon. This report was received the other evening, but is dated to be exactly three days ago from the printed date of this letter. A copy of the report has been made and I'm sending it along with this letter. You'll find that the agent(s) report that their leader has already set their army into motion. I do not believe I need to spell it out for you, commander, but it's likely that Junon will come under attack any day now. Our other comrades do not yet know, Cloud especially, but they all shall know before the day is done._

_I am writing so as to avoid possible cross-interference from possible undercover Brotherhood agents. As their own general is a master of cyber warfare, it is very possible that they would obtain the information you're now reading._

_I am also writing this to inform you, from the highest order, for you and your own soldiers to keep on standby. Gas the helicopters and the trucks. While conversing with Rufus Shinra, it was decided that, should the battle go poorly for us, we shall pull a tactic out of our hat, being that Junon is a coastal town. Yet again, keep your troops at the ready, should Junon require your assistance._

_Sincerely,_

_-Reeve Tuesti."_

Cloud finished reading the letter, handing it back to the commanding officer.

"What do you make of it, son?" Burkhalt asked.

"Reeve's well informed. At this point I'm more interested in how he got people on the inside to feed back all this information," Cloud said, the latter half of his sentence in more a whisper, he seriously wondering.

"Well..." The other said, holding the paper over a lit candle to burn it, "Probably don't matter much, and anyway, now we know what to expect!" He dropped the half burnt letter onto his desk, watching it closely as it continued to ignite, until it was nothing but a smokey pile of ash. "Just imagine if we didn't know! Catch us with our pants at least half-down they would! Now we're ready for 'em!"

Cloud forced a smile, to give the commander the benefit of the doubt, "Right. Gotta go, commander. I'm curious if Reeve really is going to tell me about this letter when I get back."

The commander stopped him at the door, "Well son, even if he doesn't, just keep one thing in mind! The president is a busy man, lots of things on his plate! He was to oversee resource spending, recruitment, soldier placement. He has to coordinate with Warick, myself, and the other commanders on various things. He has to keep track of whatever's going on overseas at the Northern Glacier! Even if he don't right away, I don't doubt he means to tell ya."

"War is a stressful business," Cloud echoed Reeve's own words during their last meeting. He was met with a slap on the shoulder.

"That it is, son! Ah, but I won't hold ya up anymore. Might be seein' ya again soon, eh?"

Now Cloud very slightly smiled, this time genuine. He found that he actually liked Burkhalt, "Not soon enough," Then half-saluted, "'Til next time, commander." Then turned and left the room.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>The sea sparkled brilliantly as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky over Junon. Outside the base the air would normally be cool, but here, surrounded by dark-tinted metal works, it was actually a bit warm, hot even, for those in full combat attire.<p>

Such as what the two WRO soldiers thought, lazily leaning against a rail, their guns not far away but placed upon the ground. They were posted on one of the topmost layers of the coastal fort, and despite orders to keep on high alert for a possible attack, they made a point to at least try and enjoy the day. Both had removed their red covers from their heads, letting the salty sea breeze blow through their hair, quite reinvigorated. It was reported that the enemy did not possess any water craft, and seeing as this particular spot was more for watching for an attack from the sea rather than land, the pair was at least somewhat at ease.

"Think something will actually happen today, man?" One soldier asked the other. He was a stout twenty-something, with dark hair.

His comrade shook his head, somewhat older, mid thirties, with a hint of dark brown stubble around his chin and cheeks, "Anything's possible, you know? You think if the Fort Condor residents had asked that question when they were attacked, things wouldn't have turned out the way they did?"

The younger man turned his gaze back out to the ocean, considering the words.

Junon, once the main shipyard (both air and sea) for the old ShinRa army, now served the same purpose for the World Regenesis Organization. While the airpads were plenty stocked with small aircraft and helicopters, there was only a handful of ships docked in the harbor. This was something both soldiers found odd, but had no place to question the motives of their commanding officers. A closer inspection, however, revealed that these ships were being manned and prepared to set sail. Apparently that morning, intel from the higher ups revealed that the enemy was moving against them, to try and take Junon.

"Any regrets?" The older male suddenly asked.

"Not really," The younger shrugged, "Figured joinin' the army would be more exciting than just guard duty, though!" He laughed, "Been at least a month, most of the army's been stationed here and nothing to show for it!"

"There will be plenty of killing in due time, I assure you," A third male voice suddenly said. Recognizing it, both soldiers suddenly stood at attention and saluted.

Tseng narrowed his eyes at the two, "I shouldn't have to tell either of you this is no laughing matter. Our orders have been made clear: show no mercy, because you won't receive any!"

"Yes, Director Tseng!" Both soldiers said, holding their salute.

The dark-haired Turk folded his arms behind his back, eying both soldiers one last time, then turning and walking away. "Back to your proper posts. The next time I catch wind of either of you slacking, I'll throw you both into the ocean myself."

His boots clanging loudly against the steel walkaway beneath his feet, Tseng entered the side building, took two flights of stairs down, then stepped out onto another walkway. Now he faced south, the ocean and rocky outcropping to his right, the open grasslands straight ahead and to his left. Early that morning, he had been ordered by Rufus to personally oversee the preparations of Junon, and had arrived via helicopter before the sun had even risen. It proved to be a daunting task to be sure, though nothing he wasn't already accustomed to. The ships were being prepped, the helicopters were ready to take flight, and still there had been no sign of the Brotherhood. Tseng turned and started to walk in the opposite direction.

A small device in his ear suddenly beeped, he reaching into his pocket to press a button, then spoke, "Tseng here."

"Anything new down there?" Reeve asked.

"Nothing, sir. Everyone is ready and the entire city is on lockdown," Tseng replied, letting his eyes trail down to the port, where five ships were docked. "How shall we use the..."

Tseng's eyes suddenly flushed white as a gigantic fireball lit up one of the five ships, an ear-splitting explosion following a second later and causing him to go deaf. It seemed an eternity before his hearing returned, only for a second explosion, and resulting fireball, both blind and deafen him yet again. The man, on instinct, hit his left side, using his arms to cover his neck and face.

"Tseng! Tseng! What the hell is going on?" Reeve screamed over and over into the Turk's ear.

"Let me call you back, sir," Tseng groaned, once his hearing partially returned. He struggled to his feet, gripping the nearby hand rail to assist, his ears now ringing with the blare of warning sirens going off. When his vision cleared, he looked back to the docked ships. Two were in complete ruins, already half-sunken beneath the rolling waves. Two others had since caught fire, and there was no activity on the fifth. Tseng assumed that most of it's crew was either severely stunned, or even killed from the explosions.

Turning, he rushed back through the compound, soldiers scrambling and running this way and that, as a commanding officer's voice issuing orders over the PA system; Tseng couldn't quite make out was was said, as his ears still rung. Finally, he shoved through a pair of soldiers and exited the main building, once again standing out over the southern side of the fort.

He saw a missile soar through the air, aimed directly at the city.

Yanking a strange device from his pocket, the Turk furiously punched several numbers, then turned on his ear-piece. His voice boomed over the announcement system, "All crews brace for impact! Enemy missile incoming!"

The missile struck the ground just a few feet outside the city, though the resulting massive explosion set fire to much of the surrounding area, causing more chaos.

Producing a pair of binoculars, Tseng looked to the direction from which the mortar had come, though his fears and heart already knew what to expect.

"Tseng!" Reeve's voice again yelled into the man's ear, "We're getting distress signals from Junon! Is it the Brotherhood?"

Through the binoculars, Tseng could see it all very well. The approaching army had lined up in a perfect line, trucks, foot soldiers, several columns stretching behind the front line. It looked like a dark plague sweeping right toward s them. While they were too far away to make out exact details, the Turk noted one shadow, much larger than all the rest; he could not tell if it was a monster, or another type of assault vehicle. Then a row of the vehicles parted, to show something Tseng recognized immediately. He remembered seeing photos of this machine of death after Fort Condor was taken.

The Geo-Leviathan.

"Tseng, damn it to hell!"

That seemed to snap the man out of his trance, and he again activated the device in his ear, "Mr. Tuesti," He simply stated,

"I'll ask you one more time! What the hell is going on down there!"

Tseng continued to watch the spectacle before him. Now, without the assistance of the binoculars, the enemy was well in sight, now having broke their slow advance and charged across the field. The roar of the approaching trucks was drowned out only by the mad scramble of the WRO soldiers, and the sounds of helicopter motors and blades thrumming to life.

"**TSENG**!"

"Sir... the war has started."

* * *

><p><strong>~` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>At that exact moment back in Edge, Tifa unlocked the front door to the Seventh Heaven and pulled it open, letting in the cool outside air. She stepped out into the sun, taking in a deep breathe and then exhaling slowly. The rest of the city slowly began to come to life, the other citizens busting about more cheerily due to the weather.<p>

It was impossible to imagine the world ending, the foundations of peace, violently shaking on so beautiful a day.

Tifa went back inside as a couple patrons entered, wanting nothing more than the local newspaper and a bit of coffee. She fetched these quickly, always remembering to have a smile on her face. As was established before, hers was a comforting place; it may have only been four walls and a roof, but here people seemed to forget about the troubles outside. If only for a little while.

It was here that she discovered a silver vase on the bar beside the register, within which sat a single red rose. Curious, she bent further down to smell the sweet smelling flower. A small paper note was attached, which she read.

"_I should be home some time after lunch, then I have something I want to talk to you about. _

_Don't worry, it's nothing bad, and is probably nothing to even worry about. But I promised that I would never lie to you again._

_Ever your own,_

_-Cloud."_

She felt a smile tug at her lips, but it quickly disappeared as her mind went to Vincent, and their last encounter before he had departed. He had mentioned in the past of 'something evil' clouding the blonde's judgment and mind. Vincent then claimed that Cloud had been having nightmares, violently thrashing and making threats in his dreams. Tifa knew that the man had nightmares; she had them too! However, not once did she think that Sephiroth had anything to do with it, he was dead after all. No, she thought it memories of all the fighting, of the Brotherhood, of old habits that maybe Cloud hadn't quite kicked yet? Picking up the rose, she slowly turned it over between her fingertips.

She hadn't questioned Cloud about it, thinking if something was indeed wrong that he would let her know. Now, her perceptions changed; as soon as Cloud got back she would confront him about it. Her eyes went back to the note, thinking that maybe his nightmares were what he was referring to talking to her about. One way or another, Tifa was going to get some answers out of him.

He promised he would never lie to her ever again.

Tifa returned the rose to its vase and faced the rest of the bar, in time to see two hooded figures appear in the doorway, then enter. They seemed to move as one, something she thought odd, but not entirely thinking too much of it. One broke away from the other to sit at the table furthest from the bar, the other standing before the jukebox in the opposite corner. Tifa moved to the seated form, wearing the usual warm smile.

"Welcome to the Seventh Heaven, what can I get ya?"

At first the hooded form said nothing, merely glanced up to regard her. The eyes were hidden by the cloak, but Tifa noted the thin, angular face that was clearly female.

"Nothing for me... thanks," The female voice spoke, "Just here on some... business,"

Tifa nodded, moving away just in time to see the second form enter the back room.

"Can't people read..." She muttered, following the figure through the swinging door into the kitchen, each bearing a small white sign that clearly read 'EMPLOYEES ONLY.' Glancing around, the hooded form was nowhere in sight, so she rounded a corner leading further back into the establishment. She found the figure then, it's back to her.

She stepped closer and reached out to grab the shoulder, "Excuse me, but you're not allowed..."

Tifa never finished her sentence, the hooded form suddenly jerking around, a balled fist landing square on her jaw and knocking her backwards to clatter against some pots.

In the main bar, the two patrons heard the commotion and for a moment thought nothing of it. The hooded woman slowly smiled.

Not stopping to ask questions, Tifa went into attack mode, lunging back through the door and thrusting her right palm out. The blow struck the figure in the face, which in turn blew back the hood to reveal a male, red-lined eyes and pitch black hair.

"Greetings, wench!" Sinnah cackled with childish abandon, "A good friend of mine would like a chat with you!"

Then she saw it, between the folds of his robe-like shirt, a bandana displaying the insignia of the Brotherhood.

"You bastards just don't know when to quit, do you!" Tifa yelled, sinking into a stance, "What's the matter? Reij lose his nerve?"

Sinnah drew the thin, curved blade with his left hand, his right gesturing challengingly, "Who is Reij? I am Sinnah! Come!"

Tifa met the challenge without a second thought, pedaling forward, turning, and arcing her right boot out to strike the man. He in turn ducked under the blow, reaching up to grasp her ankle. Tifa simply jumped, twisted, and instead smacked him aside with her left boot. Not waiting for the enemy to recover, she charged again, connecting one, two, three punches to his sternum and a palm-thrust to his chin. Sinnah fell back from the attacks, but recovered in an instant. The dark red blade slashed outward multiple times in a flurry of steel, forcing Tifa to go on the evasive. She quickly realized that in such tight quarters, she was a much easier target for the whirring sword strikes, and devised a plan. When the sword came arcing in, she thrust her wrist out to catch the one bearing the deadly blade, her opposite fist swinging in to punch the black-haired swordsman in a flash. Knocking the weapon aside, she flipped over his head to land behind him, planting a kick square in his back to send him barreling outward into the kitchen area, further scattering pots and other cookware.

Sinnah looked up in time to see ruby eyes and leathered fists fly toward him, he simply ducking out of the way, twirling and vaulting over the counter. Tifa followed right behind, leaping over a horizontal sword swipe that would have severed her tendons. Left palm shot out to pick up a large cast iron frying pan, which she used to pivot and knock aside the continuing assault.

_'Clang! Clang! Clang!'_

She knocked the thin blade aside, turning the pan aside to connect it with the assailant's head. The resulting sound from the impactwas sickening, and should have stoved in his head. But Sinnah simply shook off the strike, his eyes widening in rage as a trickle of blood dripped down the side of his skull.

"Ohh... now we're going to have some real fun!"

Before Tifa could react, the robed man shrieked a horrible sound and charged her, the swiping and thrusting of his sword moving faster than she could keep up with. It took all of her concentration to duck and move away from the attack, retaliation becoming impossible. Finally, in the blink of an eye, the assault stopped, and Sinnah simply gripped her by the throat and threw her through the doorway, into the main room of the bar. Tifa twisted mid flight, landing on her feet and sliding backward a couple more feet, the outer soles of her boots screeching against the polished wood.

The two patrons shot to their feet in shock at the sudden appearance of the bar owner, "Tifa! What's going?"

She turned to face them, "Run! Get out of here! Call Reeve, or the police!"

The two men never hesitated, and were out the door in a heartbeat. Tifa momentarily forgot the hooded woman, as Sinnah came rushing out from the back, shrieking and eyes as wide as saucers, sword leading the way.

But now she was on the main floor, where there was a lot more room. Tifa dove to the side and kicked a chair at the charging man, whom simply cleaved the wooden seat in half and kept coming. She thus formulated a different tact, and picked up a second chair and thrust it out to meet the weapon. Steel cleaved through wood, the tip stopping a mere two inches from Tifa's chest. She twisted the chair, ripping the weapon free of Sinnah's hands, then discarded it across the room. Sinnah, however, did not let up and his left fist came out to strike her on the cheek. Tifa twisted right, snatched the exposed wrist and twisted the arm around her, forcing the man's back to her. Her arms went under his, and heaved with all her strength, tossing him backward and slamming harshly against the solid wall. She ran, leaping onto a chair, then dashing across the adjacent table, and finally soaring through the air, right arm extended.

Sinnah suddenly moved out of the way, Tifa's fist instead smashing apart the wooden partition. Before she could register her next attack, she felt a glass bottle shatter across her head, she falling over and was stunned for just a minute. Looking up, she saw a second figure, though thought the blow had rendered her double visioned, because this new person looked exactly like Sinnah.

"As amusing as this is, it's time to go, little wench." Tifa heard a female voice say.

She lay there a moment longer, feigning defeat, but in truth was stalling for time, for her vision to clear.

"That was too easy!" Sinnah laughed, "I hope that blonde is more fun than she is!"

Then Tifa realized their intent. Surely they meant to capture her to lure Cloud into a trap! Or maybe to force his hand to surrender. Instantly, adrenaline shot through her body, and she could no longer sit still. Up she flew in one fluid motion, both hands managing to reach out and take the enemies by their robes. When she came back down, she slammed both of them against the bar top, scattering and breaking several rows of glassware. She then felt two knees, one on each side, snap out and catch her in the ribs. Stunned from the blow, she back-pedaled off the bar and prepared herself.

As she recovered, Sonnia came whirling in, spinning around in circles and snapping her sword out to the other female. Tifa, used to the whirlwind of strikes from the male, could more easily predict the swings, and watched carefully. When Sonnia finally came within striking distance, Tifa caught the other's wrist, spinning around and snatching the sword-fighter over her body, thrown across the room to smash against a table. Her hairs then stood on the back of her neck and she twisted back around, in time to duck underneath Sinnah's thin blade. Still crouched, she swept her left leg out to catch the male in the ankle, thus forcing him from his feet and hitting his back with a solid sound.

Tifa curled her legs inward, bending her entire body backward, then back hand sprung back to her feet, diving for the fallen enemy. She landed with feet on both sides of his head, lurching down to snap him back up by the neck, only to slam him head-first into the bar top. She repeated this notion twice, before his leg caught her in the shin, he spinning, clocking her ribs with his left elbow, then bashing his forehead into her own. Tifa saw stars and again back-pedaled a few steps, ready to charge again. She balled her fists tightly, legs shaking and ready to pounce...

Too late, as Sonnia appeared behind her in a flash, sword drawn and held against her throat. Before she could even register that, Sinnah was standing before her, sword tip pressed to her, just above her left breast. The speed with which they moved stunned the woman. They couldn't have been human for them to move so swiftly.

"Pressed for time," Sonnia purred into her ear, causing the fist-fighter to shudder.

"Come on, sister," Sinnah grinned, "Let's move on to the main event!"

Tifa didn't even have time to register what the 'main event' could mean, as a moment later, the butt of a sword hilt struck the side of her temple, and she fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>Cloud was back on the road to return to Edge soon afterward, wanting nothing more than to get back to the bar, and to Tifa. He knew that, no doubt, Reeve or Rufus would have still more messages for him to deliver to other compounds. When he departed the WRO Tower that morning, he saw a thick stack of envelopes and small boxes, each one clearly stamped with the bright red stamp of "URGENT! PRIORITY DELIVERY!" However, at the moment he just didn't care; he had made a promise both to Tifa, and more importantly to himself: he had to tell her the truth.<p>

Spurred on by this promise, he pushed the throttle faster. All he saw was the road, everything else was a blur and did not matter right then.

He would explain that he had not told Tifa of his nightmares, because he thought they would eventually go away. His eyes trailed away from the road to gaze out into the distance, north, towards the sea. He knew that regardless of what he had said, Tifa would simply scold him like she always had. Again and again he would keep things bottled up and once Tifa knew the truth, she blew up. When he didn't mention that first meeting with Rufus after the Brotherhood began to rise in power. When he lied about the truth to that same meeting. Even when he failed to inform Barret, they all had jumped down his throat. Now it was time to be completely honest.

Cloud's eyes moved back to the road ahead in time to see a shadowed form standing in the middle of the road, and closing in fast. On instinct, he slammed the brakes, forcing the back sideways down the road in order to more quickly bring it to a stop. Finally, the bike skidded to a stop, and Cloud was face to face, a mere inch away, from the figure.

"_Confessing your sins will mean little in the long run," _The Sephiroth apparition chuckled.

Cloud stared hard at the figure. Had someone been nearby, Cloud would have looked almost silly to them, staring with a burning hatred out into the distance at absolutely nothing!

"Anyone can repent. How long are you gonna keep playing these games, Sephiroth?"

"_As long as it takes, Cloud. Until your final mental barrier breaks down, when you'll be at my absolute mercy."_

"Why? What are you trying to gain from all this?" Cloud now scowled, he wanted nothing more than to run his enemy through. But knew it would be a wasted effort.

The illusion laughed, _"When you can no longer resist me, you'll never be rid of me. I'll be right there the entire time, just as I am now. Why, Cloud? You, I, and this Planet have much unfinished business."_

Cloud grit his teeth, and began to reach for the weapon on his back, but stopped himself, "You'll never win. Never. Evil never prevails."

"_Is that right? And... that's why the pretender and his army of meat sacks are attacking Junon even now?"_

"What are you..."

At that moment, Cloud's cellphone went off, an obnoxious sound. The Sephiroth apparition faded away into a black mist, a final chuckle in its wake. Cloud yanked out the phone, not even bothering to checking the ID, "Yeah?"

"Cloud? It's Reeve, listen! No time to explain! I..."

Cloud cut him off, "Is the Brotherhood attacking Junon?"

"What? How did you know?"

He scoffed, "Nevermind, I'll tell you later. What's the situation?"

"Not looking good at the moment! They've brought the Geo-Leviathan with them and they're hammering away at our defenses! I scrambled back-up air support from Edge, but they may get there too late!"

"Commander Burkhalt?"

"The transmission went out as soon as the Brotherhood showed themselves, he and his men are marching now. Where are you?" Reeve's voice now sounded panicked.

"Halfway back to Edge. What about Tifa?"

Cloud heard, through the ear-piece, a frantic announcement over the PA system, followed by Reeve cursing, "I don't know, Cloud! Last I heard a 911 call from a citizen saying something was happening at the bar! I need you to get here at..."

Cloud snapped the phone shut, not wanting to hear anymore. Tifa was in trouble. Before he turned the bike's keys back over, his phone again went off. He ripped it back out, again not checking the caller ID, "Reeve, I'll be there but first I need to..."

"We speak again, Mr. Strife! Quite the fun day you're about to have, huh?"

Cloud's heart leaped up into his throat.

The silver-haired man.

"I don't have time to play games with you!" Cloud yelled, and started to close his phone.

"But I think you do! Looks like your bar wench has gone missing!"

Now his blood ran cold, and he started to shake, "What have you done with her?"

The leader laughed, "Technically, **I **haven't done a thing. She's safe enough.. for the moment. You'll find her in the woods west of Edge, along with two new friends of mine that are dying to meet you!"

The phone slammed shut and Cloud was on the move in an instant. Behind him in the distance, dust clouds billowed to life as Commander Burkhalt's forces raced toward the city under siege.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>With every alternate step, the entire building seemed to shiver, as the battle raged on outside. Tseng constantly threw himself through whomever was standing in his path, never once breaking stride. Spinning red strobe lights lit up the dim hallway, as power to that side of the city had been knocked out from another mortar strike.<p>

"Director Tseng!" A voice in his ear screeched, "All five docked ships are dead in the water! What are we supposed to do!"

The Turk grimaced, just as he threw open a heavy metal door to dash across a walkway and through yet another door. He caught brief glances at the battle below, the black line of the Brotherhood now at the gates of the city. Both armies traded gunfire, and the occasional fireball erupted on both sides.

"Get those helicopters and fighter ships in the air quickly! It's our only chance!"

"Right away, sir!"

He rounded a corner, then had to pause a moment to catch his breath. How could it be that the enemy managed to appear so quickly! He assumed that they had to have marched the entire way, with very few stops for rest and food.

Tseng found his own glimmer of hope: if indeed they had done so, the entire enemy had to be battered and tired, and might not put up as fierce a fight as before.

He yanked his phone out of his pocket, punched a single number, and waited.

"Status update, Tseng!" Reeve said.

At that moment, the entire building suddenly shook as a bomb detonated atop the fort, directly above Tseng's head. Tseng's feet left him, and he hit his side with a 'thud!' covering his face as debris shook loose from the ceiling. Steel pips and rock clanged and clattered, knocking other soldiers to their backs or rumps.

"They're attacking the air yards, sir. Five docked ships are down, we have no sea support!" He yelled as he got to his feet.

"Damn it!" Reeve cussed. "Get as many crafts in the air as you can, Tseng!"

"Sir..." Tseng muttered, "What about ground reinforcements?"

"Commander Burkhalt and General Warick are on the move. I contacted Cloud, but..."

Tseng didn't hold onto hope that the blonde would show, or at least not in time, "What about the other, sir? Rufus' one hope was that they would be our best chance against a ground assault."

He heard Reeve sigh on the other end, then, "Looks like we're going to have to pull the last of the reserves out. I'll handle it, Tseng."

"One last thing, sir," Tseng said as he stepped up to a final door, at the top of a staircase, "Send the Turk recruits in, too. Some of them have skills that we're going to need."

"Are they prepared for this?"

Tseng scoffed, "If they aren't now then they would have never made it far."

"Very well... good luck, Tseng." Then the line clicked, and Tseng threw open the door to step out onto the main flight deck.

Instantly the sounds of engines roaring to life deafened him, but he quickly ran across the deck to where a soldier threw open the hatch to a helicopter. Tseng raced in, the soldier following suit and closing the hatch. The Turk sat in the pilot seat, the soldier to his left. He then placed a headset on his head, and set about furiously flipping switches and starting the engines.

"Hunstman Squadron, this is Director Tseng. I want all craft in the air in one minute!"

But it would never happen. Just as Tseng lifted his craft off the ground, warning sirens blared to life, and a crackling announcement came over the radio, "Missile incoming! All flying crews evac immediately!" Instead of abandoning the helicopter, Tseng simply yanked harder on the throttle, the entire craft shuddering and whipping to the left and quickly ascending into the air. Then a blast shook the entire craft, a massive fireball erupting and then engulfing the entire flight deck.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Marcus!" Reeve yelled as soon as he stepped into the control tower.<p>

The sandy-haired young man shot to his feet, saluting, "Reporting, sir!"

Reeve B-lined to where the man stood, "Get Captain Deidra on the horn at once! She's needed at Junon! Quickly!"

"You got it, sir!" Marcus said, then fell into his rolling chair, the seat wheeling halfway down the line and Reeve right behind him. He flipped this switch, mashed that button, and furiously typed into a computer terminal. This in turn dialed a number through the computer, and Marcus flipped another switch and handed Reeve a headset.

"This is Deidra reporting, sir,"

"Captain, this is President Reeve. What are your coordinates?"

There was a brief pause, as the woman received the information, "Approximately fifty clicks from Junon, sir. So far there hasn't been a sign of trouble out here."

Reeve's face and voice turned grim, "I'm afraid there's been trouble for the past hour, captain. The Brotherhood is laying siege to Junon. Do I need to spell it out for you?"

"Shit! Er... sorry, sir, I..."

"Captain!"

"Yes, sir! We're on our way."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII]` ` `~<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hah! Got the bastards!" Reij cackled as he watched the upper levels of Junon erupt in flames. Behind him, the massive muzzle of the Geo-Leviathan belched black smoke from firing. The very shot which had, they all assumed, now took out their air support.<p>

Edward stood next to him on top of the craft, nodding in approval, "Don't get so cocky, Reij. This battle is far from over."

Before Reij could retort, Edward has thrown himself from the craft, and lead a line of militia towards the city.

"Hammerhand!" Edward yelled, "You're up, big guy!"

At that, the massive mutant thundered through the ranks, the other charging militants quickly getting out of the way. The mutant jumped, soaring through the air, and landing with a 'thud!'amongst WRO soldiers, swinging his great arms and swatting aside any who didn't move out of the way in time. From one of the top levels of Junon, a soldier fired a rocket propelled grenade at the massive, seemingly easy target. Hammerhand, far more agile than would seem possible for one his size, ducked out of the way, further trampling any unfortunate to not move, friend or foe. Gurgling in annoyance, the mutant further pushed through the ranks, constantly being barraged with gunfire, but seemingly not noticing. He then picked up a massive piece of rubble, the size of a small vehicle, and hurled it at the city. The solid boulder shot through the air, finding its mark and taking out a line of WRO snipers and those wielding RPG's. The boulder also ripped into steel foundation held together by other solid rock, thus collapsing a good portion of that particular walkway.

"Hey! Don't let that giant prick have all the fun!" Reij yelled, "Load up another shot!" Just as the demolition man said that, he turned his eyes to the topmost level of Junon, and couldn't believe what he saw.

The faint smudges of three dark aircraft emerging from the ball of fire, pivoting to the left, and now headed straight for him.

"Shit! They're tougher'n I thought..." Reij mused.

"What now, sir! Another shell has been loaded!" A militant appeared at the base of the massive weapon.

An idea came to Reij then, and he laughed aloud, confusing the soldier. "I got this! You just keep those bastards off my case!"

Reij then ran further up the Geo-Leviathan, reached down and pulled a sliding iron door aside, disappearing into the opening a moment later. He dropped down into a sort of cockpit, surrounded by blinking lights, a single computer terminal with a round monitor, and then a square monitor next to that one, displaying the weapons and ammo systems. The round monitor on the other hand, displayed the still raging battle outside. After checking that everything else was in place, the man entered a command into the computer terminal, and mashed a green button directly to his right. Between his feet, a small hatch opened, and what resembled a giant joystick emerged from the open hole, stopping just at chest level. Reaching over that, he punched yet another command into the computer, and a low whirring noise started, slowly growing louder and louder. On the outside, six slots, three on each side of the massive cannon muzzle, flew open with a clang. Up rose what resembled miniature turret guns; two muzzles to each turret for a total of twelve guns. This was an extra kick that the Geo-Leviathan had, one that Reij hadn't even told the silver-haired man about

Back in the cockpit, Reij used a second, smaller device to steer the outside camera to his intended target. Once the center optical was lined up with the approaching helicopters, he smirked, and mashed his thumb on the red button on the large joystick in front of him.

"See how ya bastards deal with this!"

All at once, the six turrets launched a double shot into the air, the streaks of the massive artillery following in the wake of the missiles. _Bra-boom! Bra-boom! Bra-boom! _The deafening sound as the guns fired shot after shot. In the air, the flying craft broke ranks and quickly moved out of the way of the deadly shots. Even from outside of the weapon, the cackling of Reij could be heard.

Closer to the front lines, Edward ducked behind a line of sand bags, ironically placed by the WRO to hide behind. With the pressing attack, it seemed the Brotherhood would easily take Junon, as they had pushed the WRO to the very edge of the lower city. Still, Edward knew not to be overly cocky, as he pulled the pin from a grenade and lopped it over the barricade. The resulting explosion and screams told him his missile had hit dead on, instantly shooting straight up and firing his weapon into a cluster of oncoming white uniforms.

"Hey, big guy!" Edward yelled as Hammerhand came into view, "Need a distraction here!"

The mutant then changed course and, after picking up and throwing four enemies into the air, charged over the barricade and cut a deeper swathe through the WRO. In answer, the Brotherhood soldiers jumped over the barricade with a cheer, further pushing the defenders backward into the city.

Edward jumped this way and that, avoiding dagger thrusts and returning fire as he heard bullets zip by him. He spotted a cluster of WRO, tightly packed around a circular barrier, they lobbing out grenades and, on occasion, standing to fire grenades of the rocket propelled variety. Seeing an opportunity, Edward took out yet another grenade, rushed by, and dropped the grenade into the cluster of soldiers.

What Edward didn't expect, however, was a sudden blur rushing past his vision, past the soldiers where he dropped the grenade, and then past him again. Only once he looked down did he notice his previously discarded grenade, and threw himself backward just as the bomb detonated. He rolled several feet, then slowly managed to stand as his hearing began to return. He held his weapon tight as the smoke from the grenade started to clear, not entirely sure what to expect. Then a shadowed form stepped through the smog, and at first Edward didn't know what to make of the stranger.

All he saw was the tattered red cloak.

Vincent Valentine, never hesitating, ripped his three-barreled gun from his belt, brought it to bare, and pulled the trigger.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII]` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Trees whipped by him at a blinding speed, the entire world around him now nothing but a blur of green, yellow, and brown. Never once did he let off the gas, and even became frustrated when the engine wouldn't go any faster. He never feared blowing the engine, or otherwise damaging the craft, he simply had to find her.<p>

Tifa was in danger, that was all that mattered.

After another hour of riding through the woods, Cloud pulled Fenrir to a halt, opening the duel compartments. Pulling the main blade from his back, he combined two more swords onto this one, then pulled the second largest and slid it into a strap behind him. Then, main blade in hand, he ran on, having spotted signs of a struggle along the way.

He followed a trail, it looking like a body had been dragged through here recently. All he could think right then was that Tifa had been hurt, or even worse. But this silver-haired man seemed to be a master of deception, and would not hurt the woman for want of using her against him.

'He made the biggest mistake of his life the first time he tried to get her,' Cloud thought bitterly as he ran on. Each time he fought the Brotherhood or their agents, one image always flashed through his mind: a militant pinning Tifa down, cutting her clothes away with a knife to do the most despicable act of all. This then, fueled his rage and would cut down any who tried to harm him, his lover, or his friends.

The drag lines suddenly ended and he hesitated, bending down to closer examine the end of the trail. In place of the drag lines, there was not one but two sets of footprints that continued on. He looked up to see a thick pine tree, beyond which was a clearing. With renewed vigor, he stood and ran forward, around the tree, and into the clearing.

Tifa was there, one-hundred yards away, sitting on her knees with thick rope around her midsection and binding her arms, a Brotherhood bandana tied around her face and mouth, gagging her.

Cloud rushed toward her, he had to save her.

Nothing else mattered.

Once he got halfway there, something happened. A sudden gust of wind rocked the trees, and the dirt and leaves around Tifa shifted, rising in a circular manner. Then, a small tornado rose up around the woman, stretching into the sky and peaking with the tallest tree. The funnel whipped this way and that, blowing dirt all around and causing the trees to creak and crack. Cloud, unsure of how to react, ran even harder, certain that something bad was happening to the woman he loved.

"I would not be so eager, blondey!" A male voice called out from the trees, halting Cloud in his tracks.

To the left of the still-raging twister, a figure dropped from the tree. A man, pale skin, long flowing black hair, and eyes lined with red and gold.

"Welcome!" The figure shouted, drawing with his left hand the sword at his side.

Cloud instantly stepped back, raising his own weapon in a horizontal defensive position, "Let her go," He stated simply.

Sinnah laughed, "But we're already having so much fun!"

Cloud, not wanting to hear anymore, charged. Not three steps later, another voice caused him to slide to a stop.

"Caution, Strife," And on the opposite side of the twister, another figure vaulted down from the canopy of trees. A female, as marked by her voice, she looked exactly the same as the other foe. Same hair, same eyes, same outfit, and she drew with her right hand her own thin blade.

"A storm of swords!" The female enemy proclaimed, pointing with her weapon to the funnel still trapping Tifa. For emphasis, she picked up a nearby rock, and threw it at the whirlwind. As soon as the stone struck, it was reduced to powder in the blink of an eye.

"Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the pretty face, would we?" Sinnah cackled, "Though I'd dearly love to slice off her face and wear it as a mask! Ha ha!"

Cloud winced, though noted the female turned to regard her counterpart with an evil look.

"So you think she has a prettier face than mine, brother?" Sonnia hissed.

"There is no prettier face than yours, dear sister!" Sinnah replied.

"What do you want?" Cloud interrupted, "You work for the Brotherhood?"

Sonnia took two steps forward, swinging her hips, "What we want is to kill, Strife," She cooed, in a seductive way, "Let's see if you're as skilled as your reputation claims!" And raised Nymph, her curved scimitar, challengingly.

"Come! Slash hungers!" Sinnah wailed, and flung himself across the field, Sonnia following close behind.

Ripping his second weapon free, Cloud met the charge, eyes burning with fury. These two had meant to do Tifa harm, and they were going to pay the price for it! Swinging his right-handed weapon outward, Cloud felt Sinnah's blade clanged once, twice, three times against the solid steel, two more 'clangs!' as his left-hand weapon shot out to deflect Sonnia's.

Face set in a grim determination, Cloud back-stepped, jumped straight up and slammed his now glowing blade into the dirt, sending out an arc of blue energy. This arc ripped through the dirt and caused the two twins to vault in opposite directions. His hair stood on edge, and Cloud turned left, Fusion Sword leading the way, just as a dark red scimitar clashed against it. Left hand weapon then shot in the opposite direction, a pale pink scimitar smacking solid and creating a shower of sparks. It was all Cloud could do to pivot, twist, and swing his body and weapons about to avoid the deadly twin assault. However, he was a bit too slow and each time he turned, he felt the biting sting of one weapon slice his back, arm, and barely managed to knock one sword away from his neck. Constantly he spun left, then right, catching the enemy weapon's with his own, and always he saw the blur of the foes as they ran all around him in a circle.

Sonnia back-flipped three times, then scurried up a nearby tree. Sinnah repeated the motion, disappearing into the thick brush of a separate tree.

Cloud braced himself, detaching and flipping one of three blades from his main hand, catching it with the left-handed weapon, and sliding the appropriate lock into place. "Two against one and both of you run away!" Cloud forced himself to laugh tauntingly, "Didn't think the Brotherhood hired cowards!"

Before the sentence was finished, Cloud caught sight of two blurs darting from the trees right at him. Just a second two soon, the blonde spun backwards, slashing both of his weapons in an upward **X **formation, steel singing as the enemy was again knocked aside. Neither of the three let up, Sinnah twirling about in a complete circle over and over, each turn sending Slash out to clang against a Fusion Sword. Sonnia on the other hand was more aggressive, slashing at Cloud, jumping away, then quickly ran forward again with Nymph leading the charge.

Finally, Cloud found an opening and managed to duck away from the both of them. He repeated his earlier attack, right blade glowing blue and slamming against the dirt, sending the familiar energy wave out, this one aimed at the female. Sonnia twisted away and vanished amongst the bushes, just as Cloud hoped she would. Not wasting a second, he then dove at Sinnah, steel clashing and ringing as he unleashed all of his frustration on the other male. Sinnah, though swift, struggled to keep up with the massive sword strikes of the blonde, bearing only one weapon and having to duck and weave and unable to mount an offensive.

An epiphany came to Cloud then. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with. But apart, they were not.

The left-handed Fusion Sword came down and then across in a powerful strike, knocking Sinnah back just long enough. Cloud twirled the main weapon around in his fist once, twice, three times, then arced it behind him. Sinnah, not thinking, charged forward with a childish cackle. Cloud then swung the main weapon in an over-the-head slash, Sinnah raising his weapon to deflect the seemingly sluggish blow. However, when steel hit steel, a powerful force threw Sinnah backward, blasting him head over heels to crash through several trees.

While that attack was executed, Cloud repeated the thrice-twisting motions with his left handed weapon, then spun around as the female, Sonnia, came straight at him, shrieking a battle cry.

Sonnia never saw it coming, and was met with the same fate as her brother, being hurled backwards once her sword struck her enemy's, cursing the entire flight.

Now was his chance.

Driven solely on instinct, Cloud threw himself at a nearby tree, sheathing the weapon in his left hand in order to assist in his ascent. Up and up he went, swinging from one branch only to leap across empty air to land in another tree and continue up. Each time he jumped, he moved closer and closer to the whirring tornado that trapped Tifa within, though found his trek hindered from the wind storm blowing and bending the trees as he got closer.

Then mid-flight, he heard a familiar shriek, twisting about just in time to knock aside Sinnah's advancing weapon.

Trying to ignore the enemy, he continued to jump higher and higher, barely managing to slap the enemy's cut each time it advanced. Finally, he reached the top of a tall oak, barely a foot higher than the top of the twister. Cloud could see down it now, a whirling gray and white funnel, Tifa still down on her knees, bound and gagged, and struggling to be free. Sinnah shrieked again, Cloud turning and again slapping the curved blade away and even managing a boot to his enemy's stomach.

Then he turned and dived down into the heart of the tornado.

He landed hard right next to Tifa, his main weapon this time glowing a bright yellow. Reaching for his spare blade, he used this to cut the ropes binding the woman, who promptly stood up and hugged him.

"I knew you'd come," Tifa shouted over the howling winds, "But we're both trapped now!"

Cloud in turn, slid his off-hand blades into the main one, the now larger sword still glowing yellow, "Don't worry, Tifa! We've fought worse things, right?"

Tifa managed a smile, and nodded.

The twister then suddenly convulsed, and seemed to shrink in diameter, the deadly winds inching closer and closer to the two. In desperation, Cloud gripped his weapon with both hands and brought it back over his head, the yellow energy now crackling and popping. It might not work, but he had to at least try. With a yell of rage, he brought the weapon over his head, an arc of yellow energy following in wake of the weapon. The Fusion Sword cleaved into the whirlwind, slicing through and sending waves of energy throughout to completely dissipate the deadly twister.

Then a moment later, both Sinnah and Sonnia appeared before the two, weapons drawn, and smirking.

"Ooooh, I like this one, sister!" Sinnah giggled, "He blew away the storm!"

Sonnia huffed, her eyes locking with Tifa's, "Pressed for time," She grunted, "Come feel the fury of the Twin Blades!"

Cloud and Sinnah then vanished amongst the trees, and Tifa wasted no time lunging for the female sword-fighter.

Sonnia spun around in a complete circle, the very tip of her sword aimed at Tifa's throat. Tifa however, already somewhat familiar with how the twins fought, ducked under the blow, coming right back up, left fist leading the way. The blow landed right on the enemy female's chin, who in turn backflipped, then quickly charged again.

"I don't like playing games with whores!" Sonnia shouted,

Tifa grinned, flipping backwards, the toe of her right boot knocking the sword away from her. "Takes one to know one, right!" She retaliated, then charged.

When Sonnia swung her sword again, Tifa merely ducked, stepped to the left, and kicked the other female's wrist, thus lodging the scimitar into the dirt for just a second.

That second was all Tifa needed.

Her body now glowing with rage, Tifa slid on her knees, stopping in front of the robed female. She surged upward, right fist smacking into the other female's chin. A blast of water followed the strike, thus launching Sonnia into the air. Tifa followed right behind, gripping the black hair in a death grip and flinging the enemy back to the earth, the body cleaving into the dirt and sending a billow of dust into the air. Still Tifa never stopped, landing on top of Sonnia, hoisting her up by the throat, pivoting her body around and slamming her further still down into the ground. Sonnia now lay there, completely motionless, right hand barely managing a grip on her scimitar.

Before Tifa could resume the attack, a body suddenly spun through the air, landing harshly not a foot away from her. She looked up in time to see the robed body of Sinnah, clothes tattered and torn, rush toward her. She jumped from her latest victim, intent on the male twin meeting the same fate.

However, Sinnah merely jumped over Tifa, landing next to his twin and scooped her up over his shoulder, then flew through the air to land in a nearby tree. A moment later, Cloud appeared next to Tifa, also bloody, but eyes still burning for a fight.

"You are more mighty than we thought!" Sinnah's voice broke the silence, "But this is not the end!"

Before either Cloud or Tifa could move to stop him, a blinding light took over their vision. When at last their vision returned, there was no sign that either twins had been there, save the random blood splatter, broken trees, and the crevice where Tifa had slammed the enemy female through the ground.

Once the chaos settled and the adrenaline slowly faded away, Tifa stepped closer to Cloud, "Who were they?"

Cloud shook his head, taking her by the hand and leading her out of the clearing, "I don't know, but right now I think there's a bigger problem to deal with."

Once they reached the Fenrir, Cloud heaved himself onto it, loading both combined swords into the compartment. Tifa sat down behind him, tightly wrapping her arms around his midsection, happy that her knight in shining armor had rescued her once again.

"Bigger problem?" She asked, her cheek resting against his shoulder.

"I'll explain on the way."

Then Fenrir roared to life, and together, they shot out of the woods.

* * *

><p>However long it actually took, the ride seemed like an eternity.<p>

Finally, Fenrir skidded to a stop atop a plateau, perfectly overlooking the chaotic scene below.

A good portion of the coastal fort Junon was already in flames. From this distance, it looked like a swarm of black ants battering against the great city. Explosions and gunfire could be heard even from so far away, and both of them watched as three helicopters, or some like craft, weaved and roared through the air, firing upon the enemy below.

Tifa watched all of this over Cloud's shoulder with both a surge of adrenaline, and an overwhelming fear. "They never give up, do they Cloud?"

The blonde looked over his shoulder with a smirk, "Why don't we go teach them a lesson in humility?" He said.

Tifa's fear went out the window then, more tightly clutching the male's midsection for emphasis, "Let's go."

"Before we do, I got somethin' for ya," Cloud suddenly said, one side of Fenrir's compartments opening up. He pulled out a tightly folded object, handing it to Tifa.

She accepted it, unfolding the thing, it being a pair of black leather gloves. However, when Tifa slipped them on, they stretched all the way up her forearm, stopping at the crease of her elbow. She noted still something different; a small circle that resembled a button. Curious, she pressed it. Between her index and middle knuckle, a tiny blue dot suddenly flared to life. A similar dot sparked and appeared between her ring and pinky knuckles, three lines of blue color flowing down the rest of both gloves to her elbow.

"WRO prototype weapon," Cloud explained, "Electric charged, anyone you hit should be stunned. Reeve thought I would use them, but obviously he doesn't know you very well!"

Tifa grinned.

"Ready?" He asked.

She yanked his head around to plant a moist kiss on his lips, though was careful her electric-charged knuckles did not touch his skin. Her ruby eyes flared with anticipation, and she nodded, "Born ready. Let's go."

Fenrir rumbled, then sped off the plateau, towards the battle below.


	22. The Siege of Junon pt II

**-Chapter 22-**

**The Siege of Junon**

**Part II**

* * *

><p><em>War and anger shall reign, the clash of iron can be heard; by blindness you're driven insane, I'm lost in anger and grief. Sorrow won't wane until you die, a shattered body deeply hurt. And darkness will cover the light, it's gone forevermore.<em>

_The field's been left in sorrow, the father and the son, they're gone. The sun shines bright and anger rises, lorn and lonely, torn apart. Don't you think it's time to stop now, we were charmed and fooled by the old serpent's kiss._

_Let's pray! That Heaven's on our side, through violence and horror shall honor arise. So let's pray! And blessed shall be our leader, we follow the noble and bright._

* * *

><p>It had happened a split second too late.<p>

As Vincent took aim at the scarred enemy, another militant swung up on his right, his own gun brought to bare. In that moment, the choice was either kill and be killed, or kill to live on. Vincent instead had to jerk his body around, twirling in a complete circle and quickly bending down to one knee, blasting the second enemy and throwing him backwards full of shrapnel. Still twirling and never stopping, the crimson enigma moved back to where Edward once stood, only to find him gone, a grenade left in his wake. Scoffing, Vincent booted the grenade with the spiked tip of his boot, sending the thing over the heads of the WRO, to land and then detonate amongst a group of black-clothed militia. Instantly the pained screams filled his ears, but he never flinched, merely rolled away, firing at any enemy that crossed his path.

He managed to roll right into a small group of the enemy, and sprung into action. Pushing himself to a standing position, his left hand shot out, the golden talons of his gauntlet ripping into one man's throat, only to quickly shove him backward to bow over two more. Another man came up to Vincent's right, swinging a thick steel construction pipe. Now feeling an inner rage begin to boil up, Vincent knocked aside the pipe right the butt end of Cerberus, golden talons again shooting out, but digging deep into the man's chest cavity. They stood there for a long minute, the militant's eyes lit up in shock, as if trying to comprehend what was still happening.

"You have come to the wrong place," Vincent muttered darkly, before retracting his left hand. Blood gushed out instantly, Vincent holding the man's still beating heart, pierced by the gauntlet. The enemy stood there just a second longer, before he crumpled to the ground into darkness.

He glanced down at the crimson organ, before discarding it without a second thought. Already he was coated in blood, much of it hidden by the matching color of his cloak and collar. Crimson eyes seemed to flare for just a second, as a bestial urge roared within his body. Not wanting to release that evil so soon, Vincent shoved the urge back down, instead training his ear to specific parts around him. Most others would be unable to pinpoint certain sounds, as gunfire, explosions, and screams and shouts raged all around. Vincent, however, no stranger to such things, could faintly make out certain sounds and voices. Another militant ran up, thinking to get the jump on him. Vincent never looked at the man, never blinked, but continued to listen, casually lifting the three-barreled gun and ending the man's life with a single shot.

Then he heard it, the one voice he had hoped to hear. Leaping straight into the air, soaring over the battlefield, Vincent landed with a solid sound, and called a name.

"Edward Cross!"

Edward spun around at his name, and his skin seemed to turn a paler shade of white when he realized who had come for him. However, his eyes never gave him away, and he sneered tauntingly.

"Well, well!" Edward yelled, keeping his gun lowered for the moment, "The famous Crimson Enigma! Come to meet your doom, eh?"

Vincent took a single step forward, grip tightening around his gun, "You and this rabble don't belong here. Leave, or be destroyed."

Now Edward laughed, holding both arms out wide and gesturing to the chaos around them, "Doesn't look like we're being destroyed to me, dead-man! Maybe YOU'RE the ones who should pack up and leave!"

Vincent's figure suddenly seemed to shimmer forward, so fast that he moved, standing directly in front of the other male and gripping his throat with his left hand. Red eyes narrowed dangerously, just the slightest hint of a smile on the edge of his lips, "No mercy,"

Edward retaliated by smashing the butt end of his own weapon against Vincent's sternum, causing the grip to release just enough for his feet to hit solid ground. On instinct, Edward threw his compact machine gun out and yanked the trigger back. The other male however, had long since moved out of the way. Before he could register his next thought, he felt a shot strike the ground right between his legs, the resulting small billow of dust rising and hitting him square in the face. Jumping away, Edward looked up to see Vincent standing there, gun lowered, still seeming to smirk ever so slightly.

"No mercy," Vincent seemed to taunt now, extending his left hand, index and middle finger outstretching, then curling inward, ever so slightly.

"You wanna play, boy?" Edward snarled, quickly reloading his weapon, only to pull a pistol with his left hand from a holster, "Then let's play!"

The general of the rebels clearly had no idea what he was getting into.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' '[VII]' ' '~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Fort Condor] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>"Status update, peasant!"<p>

Back at Fort Condor, the silver-haired man stood out on a balcony overlooking the entire area facing north. On the far horizon, black thunderheads seemed to gather, faint flashes of lightening visible even from this distance. A strange coincidence, he mused, but strangely fitting, for he knew that his armies were already at the gates of Junon.

Behind him, a small team of three soldiers were furiously typing at makeshift computer terminals, a fourth man standing just off to the side and talking on a walkie-talkie.

"Reij reports that most of their air yards have been demolished, sir!" One of the three at the terminals said.

"And the shipyards?" The leader asked, never taking his eyes off the gathering storm clouds in the distance.

"The sneak attack worked perfectly, sir! General Cross reports that only five ships were docked, and all five of them are now out of action,!" A second soldier quipped.

Now the leader grinned, stifling a laugh. Everything seemed to be working out so well! "What about the Twin Blades?"

Now the fourth man on the walkie talkie stepped forward, "Nothing on them yet, sir. But the last we heard, they failed to get Cloud or his wench."

"It's likely that both of them are on their way to rendezvous with the WRO at Junon, sir." Another man said.

"Quiet, damn you all!" The leader snarled, whipping around and glaring at the others behind him. He soon turned back away, processing this new information. If Cloud indeed was on his way to assist Junon, it could prove to be a serious problem indeed! Naturally, it was safe to assume that that is exactly what his enemy was doing; likely he was even already there.

Then a thought hit him, he looking down after pulling back the sleeves of his robes, glancing at the cuff around his right wrist, the dark red sphere lodged into one of the two slots. Still the sphere seemed to faintly glow, the black wisps of smoke within fluctuating more violently, as if trying to coax the man into action.

"Change of plans, boys!" The leader suddenly yelled, jarring the other four and causing them to stand at attention.

"Ready the fastest vehicle we have with two support trucks with the biggest guns. No questions! Hurry up before I left Yarzagorth rip you all limb from limb!"

"Yes, sir!" They all yelled in unison, then tripped over each other to quickly hurry away.

Once they were gone, the silver-haired man reached within his robes, where a heavy chain was lashed around his neck. At the end of this chain was a small box, which he promptly fished from his robes and opened. Within, another materia, this one a pale aquamarine color, which was promptly removed from the box and jammed into the cufflink. A second wave of power washed over the man, giving him goosebumps and he discarding the box and heavy chain into a nearby desk.

"Perhaps now it's time I play my own hand," The leader whispered to himself, staring at the light blue and dark red spheres attached to his wrist, "Let's see what Mr. Strife is truly capable of!"

He allowed one final look into the distance before turning away with an insane cackle, cloak whipping behind him and his laugh echoing down throughout the fort.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' '[VII]' ' '~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Junon Fields] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>Vincent moved this way and that on the outskirts of his enemy's line of sight, making sure to keep a close eye on him. When a militant charged, he was quick to dispatch that foe before resuming his 'game.'<p>

Often, he would fire a single shot just by Edward's foot, causing the scarred general to jump away, turn, and fire his own weapon. This lead to little more than Edward gunning down his own men, but never once did he spot the tattered cape or raised collar. Vincent quickly found he was rather enjoying this game of cat and mouse, yet had every intentions of not letting the man leave the battlefield alive.

Again Vincent fired, but this time aiming for the flank of his left hip. The bullet barely grazed the man's pants, but was just close enough that the other would feel it. Predictably, Edward whirled around in a full circle, his panic peaking, and fired a wave of bullets all around him.

"Show yourself you fucking coward! Fight like a man!"

Edward then turned back around, only to be met face to face with his attacker, barely an inch apart. Startled, Edward swung the butt end of his pistol. Vincent, in one fluid motion, caught the advancing wrist, then twisted it harshly. Edward in turn yelled in pain and was forced to drop the pistol, but threw out his small machine gun. Vincent responded in kind by releasing the other wrist, using Cerberus to knock the weapon aside, and bashed his forehead into the enemy's. Stunned for just a minute, Edward turned and attempted to run, but an outstretched leg forced him to the ground. However, his military training kicked in fully, he tucking, rolling, and jerking back around to face his foe.

"Right," Edward muttered, using his left hand to wipe a line of blood from his lip, then snatching a gleaming machete from his hip, "If you're gonna kill me, then get on with it!"

But Vincent shook his head, "You're going to suffer, just as you have made so many suffer already," then took a single step.

Before Vincent could take a second step, Edward suddenly grinned, "You mean like your little Wutai whore?"

Vincent froze in his steps, instantly the grip on Cerberus tightening.

"Oh ho, so she IS a friend of yours?" Edward laughed over the sounds of battle, "More than a friend I'm guessing from that look in your eye?"

Vincent said nothing.

"Tell me, Valentine," Edward went on, now circling the other male, waving his blade menacingly, "Did you ever make her feel like a real woman? Eh?" He laughed again at that, "Or maybe you were planning to? Too bad... I think my pal Reij's boys are even now doing that job for you!"

The grip on Cerberus grew so tight, Vincent was certain the steel and wood handle would explode to splinters in his fist.

Now Edward paused, "Or maybe not... but we all did have fun torturing her! I don't know what our leader wants with her, but you'll never see her again!"

Unable to take it anymore, Vincent again shimmered forward, and quickly unleashed his own frustrations. When the enemy swung the machete, he twisted left, then right, left again, before finally catching the edged weapon in the gauntlet, squeezing and twisting so hard the small weapon shattered to pieces. Using the stunned reaction to his advantage, Vincent smashed the side of Edward's head with the barrel of his gun, sending him to the dirt. He didn't pause, and was on the man in a heartbeat. Golden talons dug deep into the man's neck, coming mere inches from severing an artery, and heaved him upward.

"You will tell me where you scum have put her, and maybe I'll give you a quick death,"

Edward's vision flushed in and out, but he was certain that the other man's eyes were now flaring a bright red; his voice overlapped with another, deeper and more menacing one. He had since dropped his other weapon, both hands tugging and clawing at the gauntlet to try and gain some oxygen.

"Fuck... you... she's probably... already dead...!"

Vincent squeezed harder still, deciding to finish the game and rip out the man's throat. A mere moment before Vincent twisted his wrist to snap Edward's neck, a sharp pain roared through his right shoulder and down part of his back. He was instead forced to drop Edward and whirled around, already bloody gold talons slashing out and opening the throat of the militant who had snuck up on him. Turning yet again, Edward had since disappeared amongst the throng of soldiers clad in white or black Determined to find and finish the job, Vincent started forward. As he gunned down one, two, seven more enemies, his ears pricked up at a sudden new sound. It sounded like... a motorcycle?

Vincent then took a single step backward, and not a moment too soon. A great bulk of black suddenly zoomed by in front of him, mere inches away, the sudden gust of wind snapping the cloak and his hair. Casually he turned, just as the Fenrir parked a foot away.

"You're late," Vincent calmly said,

"Stopped for drive-thru," Cloud retorted with a smirk, Fusion Sword already in hand.

Tifa jumped from the back of the bike to land beside Vincent, though had to turn away from Cloud to hide the shocked expression on her face, "Vincent...? I thought you were leaving?"

Vincent briefly looked over the woman's shoulder; Cloud was already engaged in cutting a swathe through the Brotherhood ranks, "I am. I arrived only a day ahead of our enemy."

"But what..." She began.

"Now isn't the time, Tifa," Vincent scowled, "When this is over... we'll talk."

He turned and started away, but caught the doubting look in Tifa's eyes. He paused, halfway turning back to her, then nodded his head, "I promise," then was gone a split second later.

Tifa had to be satisfied with that.

Cloud in the meantime had roared through the darkest colored blurs of the combatants, knowing that the endless tide of dark clothing were the members of the Brotherhood. Yanking on the left handlebar, Cloud spun the Fenrir around in a full circle as it continued on its path. The largest sword sliced out, followed close behind by the smaller, each time hacking and ending the lives of several enemies. After several minutes of that, he was allowed a minute of reprieve, still feeling the effects of his battle with the Twin Blades. Around him, WRO soldiers cheered, and a couple even managed a pat to his shoulder and they charged toward the next line of enemies. Cloud nodded, revving the bike's engine once or twice to raise adrenaline. Then he saw it, unmistakable as it was. A creature he thought he had killed already, it's great bulk sticking out plainly amongst the next advancing wave of foes.

He flicked Fenrir off, securing the keys in a zippered pocket of his vest, both Fusion Swords in hand, he followed the throng of white uniforms to the oncoming black ones.

Tifa had thrown herself headlong into a group of foes, ducking and weaving all the while.

Hitting her knees, she slid upon them a few feet, hands snapping out to snatch the legs out from underneath any foe within reach, to be finished off by their allies. As her momentum slowed, she jumped back to her feet, throwing out her left fist to the first militant that came within striking distance. On impact, the tiny blue spheres on her gloved knuckles flashed for an instant, delivering an electric charge to the man, instantly scarring and burning his face. He fell back with a yelp of pain, clutching the contact point. As the scent of seared flesh hit her nose, Tifa briefly glanced down at the new weapons she had. She then allowed a quick glance to the toes of her shoes, and an idea hit her. She would have to have a talk with Reeve after the battle.

Another enemy tried to get the jump on her, but she saw him coming. She jerked left, bending her knees and arching her body forward to dodge a hay-maker from a meaty arm that would surely have taken her head off. She turned again to the new foe, his momentum carrying him a couple more steps. Lunging, then jumping, she wrapped her legs around his neck, throwing her weight backward to slam him head over heels onto his stomach. Catching her own weight with her palms, she stood straight, grabbing the man's head and slamming it over and over into the dirt until he remained motionless.

No longer did she hold onto her weak will, no longer would she feel horrible about taking another human's life. They were all evil, and deserved what she got.

One thing she would never let go of, was her unbridled rage; that was her greatest weapon in this fight, and all the fights to come.

Tifa sprung forward again, clipping a man in the ribs with her right fist, the familiar flash of blue illuminating. Stunned, he swung on her, a pistol in his hand. She would grab the wrist, push it left away from her as a bullet discharged, then chopped the crease of the man's elbow with her free hand forcing the weapon skyward. She headbutted him, causing him to take a couple steps backward from the blow; she followed right behind him, still gripping his arm. Snarling, the man then tried to swing his other fist at her, but Tifa merely ducked under that blow. Seeing her opening, left fist swung inward and upward, smashing the man's chin so hard it shattered his entire lower jaw. He fell backward, Tifa using her own weight to push him to the ground, the heel of one of her feet following close behind, shattering the upper jaw and knocking out what remained of his teeth.

"_Bra-boom! Bra-boom! Bra-boom! Bra-boom! Bra-boom!"_

Tifa heard it then, what sounded like massive artillery going off not far from her. It was only then that she noticed the three helicopters zooming through the sky, firing on the foe below. Yellow streaks zipped all through the sky, each one narrowly missing the flying crafts. Shaking off the sudden flashbacks of the Fort Condor fight, she attempted to pinpoint the source of the anti-aircraft guns. Yet another nameless enemy reared up before her, but she merely dispatched him with three electric-charged punches: two to the sternum, the third to his nose.

Finally she spotted it, and knew at once what it was. She had seen this weapon before, but only in pictures, still there was no mistaking it for what it was. A black behemoth of a tank, truck, whatever the hell it actually was she did not know, nor care. Six turrets had been risen, three on each side of the massive cannon muzzle, and were the things attempting to shoot down the WRO's meek air support. But that isn't what she entirely cared about. No, there was truly only one reason she knew exactly what this thing, the 'Geo-Leviathan' was. And that was the one who built and operated it.

"_Reij...!_" She said with a snarl and through grit teeth, her adrenaline kicking into overdrive. He wasn't going to escape this time.

Determined to make good on that promise, she again dove forward, heedless of the swarm of dark-clad foes between her and her most hated foe. Blow after blow she dealt, not entirely caring of killing anyone, save one man; if they fell over stunned from her electric gloves, their attention off her, that was good enough. Before long, she found herself surrounded entirely, and every one of the enemy closed in on her. Many holstered their guns, instead going for bladed or blunted weapons, not wanting to kill so beautiful a woman.

"Why waste good 'meat' eh boys? Ha ha!" Tifa heard a nearby militant yell.

Twisting, turning, ducking, weaving, Tifa fought not only for her life, but for her pride as well. She swore once that she would never become a plaything for the Brotherhood ever again. In fact, she had decided that she would sooner take her own life than go through that psychological torment ever again. The thought of the bodily ravaging certainly boosted that declaration.

Still, there were too many of them. When she lifted her leg to thrust out a boot to knock one militant away, a half-second later another came from the opposite direction, pipe or club or baseball bat leading the way. But she never paused, never stopped moving, not even to catch her breath. One man attempted to dive at her, to take her around the center and knock her to the ground. Tifa merely jumped up, propelling off his shoulders and back to launch herself away from the enemy mob, closer to safety. She did manage to catch glimpses of white uniforms, but where she landed was no better than where she was. Once her feet hit solid ground, she again went into a frenzy. Somewhat startled but equally lusty, another man came upon her, wielding two steel pipes. She never saw his face as she barraged it with blue sparks, then forced to twist in a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn to do the same to another.

But this mob was more determined than the last, and it didn't take long for the lot of them to converge on the woman. Before she knew it, she was forced down to her back. Then the flashbacks happened again. She was back at the bar, a gun held to poor little Marlene, a wicked knife cutting away her clothes. Now her rage spiked, and she somehow managed to knock the first two men off of her, though she did not know how. Before she could regain her feet, two more enemies were upon her, muttering things like 'slut' and 'whore' and 'you ever been with a REAL man?' Again her rage boiled, and those two were also kicked away, and then still the next two. But they never ended, never stopped coming. Finally, five men descended upon her, each one holding down a different limb, the fifth gripping her by the throat. Around them, the surrounded men laughed, jeered, and added their own taunts.

Then something happened. One of the five above her suddenly fell backward, a spray of blood left in his wake. Shocked, Tifa looked up just in time for another four shots to ring clear, the others holding her down likewise falling over dead. Not wasting her chance, Tifa shot to her feet, still pumping with rage and adrenaline for what very nearly almost happened to her again. She turned to the nearest enemy, who wasted no time charging her.

_'PA-POW!- _Rang the familiar gunshot, and that one too fell over dead.

To the woman this seemed like a stupid lot, because yet another man behind the latest fatality rushed her.

A fist suddenly shot through the man's chest, the appendage bloody and coated with entrails and other such things. The man, already dead, remained motionless until the hand was withdrawn out of his chest, through his back; the corpse then fell to the dirt.

"V-Vincent!" Tifa stammered.

The gunman nodded, then made a gesture with his bloody gauntlet. Tifa, understanding, also nodded. They threw themselves toward each other, before they both turned and placed their backs together. Vincent quickly reloading his weapon, Tifa cracking her knuckles before holding them out before her.

"Don't die yet," Vincent muttered, "Still need to have that talk."

Tifa couldn't help but smirk, "You're right. You promised, remember?"

Vincent harrumphed, mere seconds before the swarm of enemies charged them from all sides.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII] ` ` `~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Fort Condor] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>She had been sitting there on the cold, hard floor for what seemed like ages, though in truth it was not even a half-day. She had been provided with another tray of food, this time consisted of what looked like a leg of fried chocobo, a bowl of green vegetables and another loaf of brown bread. She managed a few bites of the meat and bread, and a single mouthful of the greens, but no more. Above her, on that dreaded torture chamber bed (or so she viewed it as) a single candle was burning. Looking around the small and cramped space, the flickering flame threw shapes against the shadowy walls, some resembling terrifying monsters, a hooked blade. Every once in a while she could swear she saw the outline of one of her friends, and almost dared to hope that one of them had come to save her at last.<p>

Yuffie mentally smacked herself from these thoughts, "I'm going crazy... I need to get out of here," She whispered so faintly only she would have heard.

She truly hated being alone, as she always thrived on the company of her friends, or... anyone for that matter! But here, left alone with her thoughts with only the silent swaying candle light for company, she truly felt that she was going insane. The bronze-skinned man... he had promised to come back when he brought the latest tray of food to her, though he did not say when. He hadn't even bothered to ask what she had decided to do.

"_You really have no choice in the matter, my lady," _His voice echoed in her head all over again.

Over and over, Yuffie tried to piece together what this man was all about. When he was around his fellow Brotherhood, he spoke in some weird accent, deep-throated, thick, sounding a lot like a resident of Cosmo Canyon. She vaguely remembered what the villagers of that region sounded like, and this Tormuj sounded almost exactly like them! But... when it was just the two of them, he spoke normally, sounding no different than she, or Cloud, or anyone!

The idea of trying to figure out her would-be ally only made her head hurt worse, so instead she let her thoughts trail back to Cosmo Canyon. Alone with her grief, the pleasant memory came back to her. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back against the steel wall, and pondered. She could still see clearly when she, Cloud, and Red XIII had crossed that final ridge, overlooking the Canyon far below. She could still see the scattered torchlight and bonfires of the village itself. How bright red the entire landscape seem to be, matching Red's own fur. How bright the moon was, halfway peeking over the cliff face that was the Canyon's namesake. She could even remember the look on those feral canine like eyes of Red's, when he first re-entered his home village. Like he was finally home.

"Wonder if I'll ever make it back home..." Yuffie whispered, her head now drooping forward, seemingly in defeat. Home... strangely, it wasn't even Wutai, or her stubborn father that came to mind when she muttered that word. It was back in Edge, with all her friends. Cloud, Tifa, Marlene, Denzel, Barret... And every one else too! Cid, Reeve, even Vincent! Aerith had once told her that home was where the heart was. Her heart wasn't far across the sea in Wutai. It was with all her beloved friends.

She still had not given up the hope that they were looking for her. It was one of very few things that still kept her going.

She was ripped from her melancholy, when the steel door was suddenly thrust open with an obnoxious clang. She shot to her feet, backing into the corner furthest from the now open door, her instincts telling her to prepare for the worst. In stepped a man, completely bald and clean shaven, a small scar crossing the left side of his mouth, from nasal to chin. He was dressed in typical Brotherhood attire, and the look in his eyes did not hint at any form of friendship, pity, or otherwise.

'I knew it...' Yuffie thought to herself, feeling the fear rise up inside her all over again, 'Another damn trick...! Someone, please...'

Before she could either cower or attempt to lunge at the man, Tormuj stepped inside, positioning himself between the newcomer and the young girl. "It's time," He said to her, in the native accent.

Yuffie blinked several times, actually shocked that she was RELIEVED to see this guy! "Time... for what...?"

Tormuj grinned, and bowed forward slightly, "For this one to move you to your new home, of course!" He then chuckled, and turned to the scarred man, "You may leave us now, sir. The girl won't be giving this one any trouble!"

But the scarred man didn't budge, "My orders from boss man were clear to..."

"Now," Tormuj cut him off, quickly twirling his dagger out from his hip, the 'teeth' glinting menacingly in the faint candle light. Before the other man could blink, Tormuj had the dagger pressed against the man's groin, "This one could tell our glorious leader that you proved most helpful in transporting the prisoner safely, or..."

Here, the bronze-skinned shaman very slightly pushed the blade against the scarred one's genitals. Slight as it was, the other male grunted loudly, and tensed up.

"... this one could tell him that you wanted to do despicable things to the girl. This one wonders how His Grace would punish one who tried to harm His Grace's prisoner of war?"

Yuffie watched all of this from the safety of her corner, catching every word but not adding any of her own.

Finally, after a long minute, the scarred one nodded, "Have it your way, foreigner... but if you ever...!"

Again Tormuj interrupted him, pushing harder still on his dagger, "If this one ever... what?" He whispered with an evil smile.

The other quickly rethought his words, very slowly backing away "If you ever... require my help again, lieutenant, please let me know!" Before saluting, then turning and leaving quicker than he had come.

With a chuckle, the shaman spun his dagger back into its holster, then turning to the girl, "Well, my lady," Here he switched back to his 'real' accent, "Shall we go?"

Yuffie decided then it was probably better to not ask questions, and only nodded, and followed the man out the door.

Once she exited the chamber, Yuffie saw a long stretching corridor to her left, lines of torches and candles illuminating the dark hallway. To her right, a similar hallway, though this hall sharply turned at a ninety-degrees angle, not twenty steps away. Both halls were lined with thin slits for windows, and on occasion they lit up with flashes of bright white. Outside the fort, a thunderstorm had begun to build.

"This way, my lady," Tormuj whispered, guiding the girl to her right. She followed without a word.

They turned down the angled hallway, to reveal what seemed like an endless hallway of bright candlelight and the occasional flash of white, followed by the booming of thunder. It hardly unnerved the ninja; when you've fought against a demigod, an army of bloodthirsty militants and suffered through torture and near rape, such things seemed insignificant. The pair passed through three separate checkpoints, each one containing four armed men. At each one, Yuffie was instructed to remain three steps back, as Tormuj exchanged hushed words with the guardsman. After, they were permitted to continue on.

Finally, the endless drone of hard boots on solid floor caused Yuffie to blurt out, "So why are you hel..."

"**Sshhh!**" Tormuj hissed into her ear a moment later. "Too many ears here, my lady... and not all of them are loyal to me. Now..." Here he dropped his voice to the lowest decibel possible. Had his lips not been pressed directly against her ear, she would never have heard him, "Be. Quiet."

Despite her urges to fight back, Yuffie did as she was told. 'You must learn to play the game, girl,' he had told her once.

"Okay, freak... let's play...!" She mouthed to herself.

Finally, they reached a set of double doors, and here Tormuj presented her with a heavy leather cloak.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"It's raining outside, and it's a long way to your new home... take it or no, this one doesn't care!"

Right then, a flash of lightening and crack of thunder helped Yuffie make the decision for her. She ripped the cloak from the other man and threw it over her shoulders, pulling the heavy cloak over her head after. She nodded once she was ready, though her eyes burned with mixed emotions, her head trying to scheme the best way to kill her captor. She was finally going to be out in the open... this might be her only chance!

Two soldiers then pulled the doors open, a wave of heavy rain and frosty wind blasting them all in the face a moment later. When the lightening flashed, Yuffie could briefly make out the outlines of not one, but at least seven trucks.

Tormuj stepped out into the night, soaked to the bone a moment later from the freezing rain, but he did not seem to notice. He turned back to her, and held out a leathery hand, and uttered, "My lady?"

Yuffie looked one final time down the long hallway from whence she came, then accepted the shaman's hand, letting him quickly lead her out into the stormy night.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` `[VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Junon Fields] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>The battle continued to rage well into the night, and it was no less chaotic than when it had started earlier that day. It was dark now, maybe an hour or so until dawn, and it had seemed Mother Nature herself had grown restless. Lightening streaked across the sky, and rain fell in great sheets, the wind changing directions so often that it blew the rain and smoke directly into one's eyes. But that didn't slow Cloud down.<p>

His feet left the dirt, hurling himself forward, larger sword leading the way. He skidded to a halt and twisted left, just as Hammerhand's giant palm slapped into the dirt and leaving a hand print. Using a similar tactic the last time he fought this beast, Cloud shoved the smaller blade through the wrist to anchor it to the ground. He then ran up the length of the arm, but this time jabbed his other blade into flesh as he ran. Despite that, the flesh barely cleaved, being akin to a thick wall of reinforced leather. Reaching the neck, the blonde spun his weapon once in his hand, then thrust it toward the slits in the monster's helmet. The blade was a mere inch too thick, and it clanged harmlessly off it, sending a brief shower of green sparks.

Before the beast could grab him, Cloud backflipped off, quickly retrieving his other blade. Hammerhand growled in frustration, charging forward and shaking the ground with his heavy steps. Cloud waited until the last possible second before twirling out of the way, blades whipping out to slash and cut at the monster's legs and kneecaps. Hammerhand's momentum carried him barreling through a line of soldiers before colliding with the side of a steel portcullis that served as an entrance to lower Junon. The sheer force took Hammerhand through the structure, completely severing several of the support beams that held a section of fortifications right above it. Cloud saw this and knew at once what was about to happen.

"Damn it... Hey! GET AWAY FROM THERE NOW!" He yelled as loud as he could.

The remaining beams groaned loudly in protest, one by one bending and then finally breaking, unable to hold the massive weight. Cloud ran forward in an attempt to save as many as he could. Too late, as the final metal beam snapped like a dry twig, showering the area with metal shards, some of which entered the bodies of all unfortunate enough to be too close, killing them instantly. Directly above, the lower 'crust' or floor of the fortification bowed, before instantly falling. Cloud swore and vaulted away to save his own life. He looked back up just in time to see the section of fort crash into the earth, sending a great pillar of dirt, mud, and debris. He had seen the faces of the unfortunate WRO soldiers mere moments before their gruesome death, swelled with a sick joy at the like-fated Brotherhood soldiers. And he was certain he saw the bulky Hammerhand also crushed by the debris.

It was something he would remember for a very long time.

Turning in disgust, hoping the WRO soldiers at least died quickly, he threw himself into a thick swathe of Brotherhood, silver blades gleaming and slicing into the enemy, killing them quickly. He was now filled with a new form of rage, and didn't hesitate to disembowel an enemy, hacking off an arm or leg and leaving them to die. The fighting had raged on and on; he was sore, exhausted, and covered head to heel in blood. But he didn't care. He couldn't stop... wouldn't stop.

As he fell another foe, Cloud heard a soft but audible 'thump!' Turning, he tried to find the cause of the noise. 'Thump! Thump! Thump!' His eyes fell on the piles of rocks and steel, knowing what to expect but daring to hope against it.

His fears were confirmed with a giant meaty fist smashed through the rocks, a second following not far from that one, and throwing what remained of the debris out of the way.

Cloud drove one sword into another, creating a fully formed Fusion Sword, and forced his adrenaline back up, "Let's finish this already, you son of a bitch."

They had faced worse odds before and won. They've faced worse things period; there was no chance that either of them were going to fall now. Not to this band. Not today. Not ever.

Tifa's body moved fluidly from one motion to the next, a fist catching the cheek of an oncoming foe, twisting, her adjacent boot coming up to knock that one aside, only for the opposite boot to lash out and catch another. Behind her, Vincent jerked his body one way and then another; six times Cerberus rang out, six foes fell over dead.

They both twisted around each other, facing one way only to twist again and stand facing the opposite direction. Tifa lashed out, snatching up a militant by the throat and hurling him over her shoulder into the air. That unfortunate man fell onto Vincent's gauntlet, only to be hurled into the waiting throng, bowling over several of his still living allies. The two twisted again, Tifa using this opportunity to dive into the gap created by the dead man. As she went, she grabbed two more by the throats, gripping as hard as she could and slamming them into the mud. Without pausing she came back up, both wrists jutting up and driving two more enemy's noses into their brains, killing them.

Vincent came right behind her, blunted end of his weapon caving in the skull of one enemy, three shots ringing out and managing to fell four more. One tried yet again to sneak attack him, but that one paid for it with a jagged boot spike into his shins, he falling back into the waiting muck. He looked up, a streak of lightening racing across the sky behind the crimson gunman, and a look of pure dread shot through him. He suddenly regretted everything he had ever done, and threw his hands up in surrender.

"Mercy, sir! Please!" He yelled.

Vincent crept forward, boots sloshing in the mud. A second lightening bolt lanced through the sky; he could only see Edward's face in this man. Finally, he uttered, "No mercy."

The man barely had time to make peace with his god before a bullet entered his brain, and he knew only darkness.

Tifa never saw any of this, as she was too focused on dodging away from a man swinging a large spiked bat at her. Normally she would have finished the man quickly and moved on, but the others around her seemed more interested in Vincent, the more dangerous foe to them. When he swung, she merely ducked and landed a fist to his rib cage or sternum, blue sparks flashing. The electric shock only seemed to briefly stun the man, as he never stopped moving. Finally, Tifa had enough. The man swung again, Tifa simply catching the wrist and snapping it backward, causing him to drop the weapon. He fell to his knees, she picking up the spiked bat and standing above the man.

There was no fear in his eyes, "Get on with it, bitch!" He yelled, spitting on her boot.

Tifa buried the weapon deep in the side of the man's skull.

After, she paused to quickly catch her breath, sweeping a wad of matted hair out of her eye. The rain seemed to fall harder now, the only sound louder than combat was the booming thunder. She allowed a brief smirk, thinking the weather reflected exactly how she was feeling. She looked around quickly, still too far away from the Geo-Leviathan, but she nevertheless charged toward it. Suddenly, a heavy fist struck the back of her head, blurring her vision and sending her sprawling. Flipping onto her back, she looked up just in time to plant her boot into an oncoming militant's groin and, fighting through the pain, stood up and punched his throat as hard as she could. He fell over gripping his neck, choking slowly to death.

Gingerly she touched the back of her head and winced, a wad of blood on her gloved fingers when she inspected it. That single blow took a lot out of her, and the next man to attack her seemed to move faster than she could keep up. She managed to kick his feet out from under him, quickly reaching down to snatch his neck into an awkward angle.

She knew then that she couldn't take much more.

Not far off, Vincent found himself surrounded by foes, they having decided to return to their pistols and rifles. Vincent saw the end of a rifle muzzle, and fell into a crouch, the bullet intended for his head instead striking another militant through the heart. Diving into a roll, he came up at the feet of the rifle bearer, fist smashing into his chin and a gunshot following not far behind. He felt a bullet whiz past his ear and lunged sideways, snapping to face the opposite direction and killing that one in an instant. Changing tactics, he hurled Cerberus straight into the air above him, both hands whipping to his belt inside his cloak. He withdrew two similar small caliber pistols, and unleashed a barrage of 18 bullets into a wall of enemies all pointing guns at him. He dropped the pistols to the ground, casually walking forward and snatching Cerberus with his right hand as it fell from the sky.

Then something happened. A shot rang out, far off but still louder than normal. '_KRAPOW!_' it sounded, and Vincent was thrown backwards a few steps. Looking down, there was a small hole in his side, blood slowly pouring out of it. He knew at once it had been a sniper's bullet.

Again his eyes flashed, again the bestial urge reared inside of him, again he pushed it away. In rapid succession he fired his weapon, reloading it not a moment after the final bullet left the chamber, only to resume the barrage. Still, the strength slowly left him, but he never slowed down and never stopped. Vincent knew that if something didn't happen soon, none of this would matter.

The enemies continued to converge on him; a never ending line of black cloth.

On the other side of the field, Cloud was playing a very different sort of game.

Rather than charge headlong again, Hammerhand opted to pick up shattered debris from the fallen fort, and hurl it at the enemy. The WRO soldiers quickly cleared a space and moved far away as chunks of rock, steel pipes and other such things barreled through the air. Cloud grit his teeth, as the mutant picked up a boulder larger than his own motorbike, and flung it as though throwing a ball. His blade instantly began to radiate a yellow energy, and he swung as hard as he could. Steel cut through rock and it was split in two, the pieces veering off and rolling harmlessly a couple more feet before falling still.

Now frustrated, Hammerhand roared an awful gargling sound, ripping two steel beams from the dirt and rushing across the field. Cloud met the charge, swinging his weapon in an upward horizontal slash to deflect the two-handed blow of the support pipes. The previous attack had taken a good bit of his energy, so it didn't surprise him with his sword didn't slice apart the beams. Twisting backward, Cloud again swung upwards, knocking aside one weapon, ripping one of the medium sized blades out to knock aside the other pipe. Forcing in a breath of air, the blonde warrior leaped forward and upward. Smaller sword cleaved point first into the right side of the mutant's chest, it being buried all the way to the hilt.

Using that sword as a boost, Cloud propelled off of it, somersaulted midair, and landed behind Hammerhand's head, standing upon his shoulders. It all happened so fast one might not have believed it even happened. Again Cloud's sword began to give off a pale glow, he forcing what little energy he had left into the attack. The last time this had not worked, but after somehow 'learning' this technique from his fight with the Twin Blades... perhaps it would work.

Gripping tight with two hands, Fusion Sword lifted for the killing blow. It came down.

'_KRRRRRANG!_'

The familiar shockwaves shot up Cloud's arm, and even forced him backwards to land in a large puddle of water. Instantly he was soaked to the bone, disheartened that there was seemingly no way to penetrate this monster's helmet.

If only Cloud had known the blow actually left a small indenture!

Hammerhand then turned to face him, not even acknowledging that a blade was still protruding from its chest. It gargled that weird drowning sounding laugh that it did, "Clooowwwwwd...pu...nyyy..."

Cloud found his feet at once, his chest heaving and breath coming in short rasps. He eyeballed his weapon for a second, then stared into the dark visor of that helmet. "Last time I split your stomach open... this time it's gonna be your head!" Even as he yelled that, a boom of thunder echoed several times, as if nature confirmed his promise.

But Hammerhand only shuffled his feet, sinking into what looked scarily like one of Tifa's own fighting stances, "Puu...uunyy...hah...hah...hahhh...hhh..."

The blonde grit his teeth, his arms shaking; suddenly his sword seemed ten times heavier than what it normally did.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [The Geo-Leviathan] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>Reij continued to cackle like a madman, peering through the scope of the massive tank, it showing a clear scene of his intended targets. The flying craft had been a massive pain in his ass the entire battle, but they had been unable to breech the hull of his baby. On the outside, his closest followers had clustered around the tank, using special explosives and whatever else to keep the enemy from getting inside to him.<p>

He twirled the chair to his right, pulling up a green on black command terminal and quickly typed in a long list of prompts. Outside, the massive turrets continued their '_bra-boom! Bra-boom! Bra-boom!_' at whatever soared through the air. These turrets were specifically made to be anti-aircraft, and could not fire upon anything, or anyone, on the ground. Thus he felt it was time to fully deploy all weapons systems of his prized creation.

The terminal beeped for confirmation, and Reij sneered in the most evil way possible. Twirling the chair back around, he pulled forward a small device, resembling a submarine's para-scope. Peering through it, he saw the WRO and Brotherhood constantly throw themselves at each other. Men and women dying, explosions from grenades briefly illuminating the darkness of the pre-dawn. He studied this for a long while, watching as both parties each gained a bit of ground and then was pushed back. Always, the clatter of bullets hitting the side of the Geo-Leviathan rang loudly, something that quickly gave the man a headache.

He dismissed the para-scope, reaching at his belt and removing a walkie talkie. He clicked it on, "Battery sergeant!"

There was no response at first, then the crackled response, "Aye, sir!"

"Load up another shot," He said with a dark undertone, "I'm tired of playing games."

"Right away, Lieutenant Reij!" The battery sergeant responded at once.

Dropping the device, he checked the computer terminal one final time with a nod, then whirled around to the main control terminal of the weapon. Reaching around the large joystick, he pulled a hidden keyboard from a drawer-like slide, typing in yet another command. The screen before him lit up, and a high-pitched whirring noise drowned out all other sound.

"I know you're out there somewhere, Lockhart... let's see how you deal with this!" Then pressed 'ENTER' on the keyboard.

Outside the Geo-Leviathan, a sudden hiss of air caused all standing directly by it to start in fright. Eight slots, four to both sides and directly above the wheels and axles, suddenly flew open with a 'clang!' and another hiss of steam. Platforms slowly moved outward, each one bearing what resembled a mounted fifty-caliber turret gun. The surrounding Brotherhood soldiers knew at once what was about to happen, and quickly dived underneath the tank, or out of the way entirely. A second later, all eight mounted guns opened fire wide open, the platforms on which they were sitting slowly turning to the left, and then to the right. The heavy bullets quickly cutting large holes in the WRO offensive, and even several Brotherhood members were cut down by the deadly barrage.

Even inside the thick tank, the '_brrrrrrrrrrrrrr' _of the weapons could be heard, Reij commenting aloud that it sounded like the purring of a kitten. "A big ass kitten with heavy artillery, but still!" He laughed.

This was chaos, merciless unbridled killing. This is what he thrived on, and what he was born to do.

He loved it.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p>The first signs of dawn had begun to peek over the horizon over the ocean now, the clouds in the distance having broken up and slowly lit up the sky in hues of red, pink, purple, and even hints of yellow as the sun rose higher. Above them however, the clouds belched torrents of icy rain.<p>

Tifa felt none of it.

Fighting through her rapidly growing fatigue, she lunged at yet another faceless enemy, disabling him and rendering him unconscious. After, she quickly fumbled through a tiny pouch on her hip and located a tiny green vial. Pressed for time and spurred on by the still raging battle, she broke the tip of it on a nearby rock and knocked back the contents. The potion tasted vile, and she had to force herself to not gag. Once it hit her stomach however, an energy rush washed over her, and she felt a a little bit better. Dropping the vial in the mud, she again spun outward, clipping the cheek of a passing enemy with her heel, regaining her composure, then using the toe of the same foot to kick the man in the side of the head.

Overhead, a missile zipped past, a ball of fire trailed by smoke. The rocket-propelled grenade struck an already ruined side of the upper levels of Junon, exploding in a horrible sound. The foundations here gave way, deteriorating and crumbling another section of the coastal fort. Her heart sank, but quickly picked back up again when she heard a new sound.. something very similar to those mounted turret guns both armies seemed to favor.

Backspin kicking yet another enemy away from her, she spotted the Geo-Leviathan. From her position, she only saw four of the eight ground turrets, taking out score after score of whoever was in the way. She gnashed her teeth so hard she was sure a couple would shatter, and took a defiant step forward.

A hand suddenly crushed her arm and threw her backward. Tifa flipped midair and landed in a fighting stance, ready to strike. She was shocked when instead Vincent stood there.

"Don't be foolish, Tifa," He said to her.

She didn't seem to hear, and charged toward the tank. Again Vincent caught her and threw her backwards.

"Vincent!" She half-pleaded, half-screamed in rage, "Reij is going to kill everyone at this rate!"

Vincent narrowed his eyes and quickly stepped toward her, "Would you like to be one of the victims?"

"I have to stop him!"

"You can't," Vincent's voice hardened, "Imagine how Cloud would feel, were you to fall here,"

Tifa narrowed her eyes at the man, "You don't think I could do it? You think I'm so weak that I..."

_Uuuuuuuuuuuuuoooooooooooooo!_

An ear-splitting horn suddenly rocked the early morning hours, though many of the soldiers continued to fight on, heedless of the sudden noise. Vincent and Tifa however, turned and looked this way and that, trying to locate the source of the noise over the sounds of battle.

_Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuoooooooooooooo!_

A second horn, louder than the first caught their attention, and even a few of the militants and WRO briefly halted the fighting. These eyes turned to the coastline, and hardly believed what they saw.

Three hulking battleships lumbered into the bay, scarce three-quarters of a mile away from the shore. Here, the first rays of dawn broke the horizon, revealing in intricate detail the dark gray color of the ships. At the highest point of all three flew a giant white and patched gunmetal gray flag bearing the symbol of the WRO. The flags snapped and swiveled proudly as the wind caught them, clearly visible to all who were closest to the rocky cliffs by the sea. The two flanking ships were not small by any means, with six large cannons, long and thin, protruding from the upper decks. However, the center ship seemed to dwarf her two counterparts. It was nearly twice the size, with no less than eight cannons on the upper deck, plus three smaller ones on each sides of these. Scattered throughout, both on the prow and the port and starboard side were lines of mounted guns, rocket launchers, and smaller cannons. Bright white lights suddenly flared to life, fully revealing the entire decks of all three ships; each one was crowded with WRO marines, and each one armed to the teeth.

_UuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuOOOOOOOOOO! BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!_

The third horn was louder still than the others, followed by three deafening buzzes. This seemed to come from the central behemoth, and what followed was a crackling sound, as an intercom was clicked on.

"This is Captain Deidra Martel of the _S.S Odin_, flagship of the World Regenesis Order Navy. All of you are hereby ordered to throw down your weapons and surrender at once!"

For just a few seconds, all the fighting stopped. Many of the WRO soldiers began to cheer and even smirk evilly at their dark-clothed counterparts. They knew full well what to expect. Many of the militia, however, did not, save that there were now three enemy ships joining the fight! Few of the militia knew of the _Odin _however, and knew that she was as formidable as she was ferocious. Even her captain had her own fierce reputation! Many of the Brotherhood now cast doubting glances at each other, some considering surrendering or attempt to flee.

Before the first gun could be thrown into the mud, a crackling noise came from the Geo-Leviathan, and Reij's own voice thundered, "Any of you so much as THINKS about running and I'll kill ya myself and rape your fucking corpse! **LIGHT THE BASTARDS UP**!"

Then the fighting resumed almost as quickly as it had started.

On board the _Odin_, Captain Martel softly sighed to herself, not entirely surprised. She turned to another officer just to her right, "Never does any good, does it?"

The younger female allowed a small smile and a nod, "No ma'am, but at least they can't say we didn't offer!"

The other woman laughed, "They've chosen their fates. First Mate Stensen! Give the orders to the _Gaia, _hard to port and prepare to fire. And to the _Garland_, prepare the party favors and fire on my mark."

The younger officer saluted, "Aye, captain!" She then turned on a heel, the leather of her combat boots squeaking loudly, "Ahead two-thirds, steady as she goes! Prepare to drop anchor on my mark!" She then reached up for an overhead microphone, "Gun crews! Lock and load! Petty Officer Wrex, that means you too!"

At that, a young twenty-something officer wheeled around in his chair, smiling a childish smile at the First Mate, "Party favors, ma'am?"

Stensen smirked, "Spiked punch and fireworks for all!"

Back on land, Reij swore out loud, having poked his head out of the hatch to look upon the battleships with his own eyes. A bolt of fear, small as it was, shot through him and for just a moment thought that maybe he was outgunned. He brushed it off with taciturn ego, and whipped around to find the man he was looking for.

"Battery sergeant!" He bellowed.

On cue, the man snapped to attention, "Aye, lieutenant!"

"Is she ready to fire?" He asked, tapping a fist on the side of the massive cannon muzzle for emphasis.

The battery sergeant nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, sir!"

Without another thought or word, Reij fully emerged from the weapon, boots clanging loudly on reinforced steel as he darted to the back of the tank. Flopping down into a swiveling chair set before a familiar switchboard of lights, keys, and buttons, he quickly gripped the small iron wheel and turned it clockwise. This in turn slowly caused the center of the Geo-leviathan, and thus the main muzzle, to turn in the corresponding direction. With a final, quick jerk, the wheel spun on its own from the momentum until the muzzle was lined up with one of the ships. Reij chose the one which was slowly veering off to the side, aiming its larger starboard cannons at them. He thought a moment, then jerked the wheel back the other way to aim at the behemoth vessel.

"Odin is about to get unhorsed! Hah!" Quickly he flipped this switch and pulled that lever, the weapon whirring to life as it prepared to fire. "Take this, Captain Bitch!" And slammed a fist onto the large glowing red button.

_**BOOM!**_

What flew from the muzzle of the tank was a large blue sphere, it trailed by wisps of blue smoke which quickly evaporated into nothing. The sphere struck the center ship and, on contact, expanded to gargantuan proportions to engulf the other two ships as well. For just a moment all three became lost in a blast of bright blue light, before it faded as quick as it came. There didn't appear to be any physical damage done to any of them.

In a rage, Reij flew from his seat and stared daggers into the battery sergeant, "What the fuck was THAT!"

The man looked abashed, and began to stammer, "S...sorry, sir! That was... a... er, an EMP bomb, sir! Silver Hair ordered us to bring it, but I thought it was a..."

Reij ripped a pistol from its holster and fired a single bullet right between the man's eyes.

He then turned the gun on the man standing beside the fresh corpse, a dark look in his eyes, "Now you load a proper fucking nuke into this big bitch, or I swear I'm gonna stick one right in your cheek then send your body to your fucking mother in pieces!"

The man in turn tripped over himself several times to carry out the command; never once did he doubt the words of his superior officer.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Bridge of the S.S Odin] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>Before the woman knew what was happening, the entire bridge of the ship, once glowing with a hard light blue and metal color, suddenly flared with an angry red as warning lights went off. A shrill warning buzzer went off several times, before another officer flipped a switch and silenced it, though the red lights still flashed.<p>

Captain Martel grit her teeth, moving from her seat to walk across the space, boots clanking loudly, "Status update! What the hell were we just hit with?"

"None of my systems are responding, captain!" Said one officer off to her right; he was one of the bombing crew, responsible for manning the massive cannons that made the ship famous.

First Mate Stensen was at the captain's side half a heartbeat later, "Tech says it was some form of EMP. Almost all of our weapons systems are offline, captain!"

The captain had to bite her lip so hard she tasted blood in order to keep from swearing, "How long until we can get them back online?"

Stensen shook her head, a slight trace of fear in her eyes, "I scrambled the engineers soon as I saw that blue light, ma'am. They're only just now starting to work on it."

Finally, Captain Martel could hold it in no longer and swore out loud, "Damn it to hell! Shit!" She quickly turned away, face flushed red and quickly regained her composure. If the captain panicked, the crew would panic twice as bad, "Get them into overtime then, First Mate. Otherwise we wasted our time coming here."

"Aye, captain," Stensen said with a hint of gloom in her voice, and turned to walk away.

"Wait," The captain suddenly said, "You said 'almost all.' Explain, now."

Another officer ran by and thrust a clipboard into the first mate's hands, "It looks like our forward gun batteries are still operational, the mounted guns and the overhead turrets. But all our missile systems are down." She quickly flipped through the papers, "...as are our engine and motor systems. We're completely dead in the water, captain."

Deidra Martel wiped a thin layer of sweat from her brow. She was a seasoned captain and natural born sailor, and she had a reputation to maintain. Cracking under pressure was unheard of to her, and certainly not an option at this point, "It's safe to assume _Gaia _and _Garland_ are in the same predicament as we," It wasn't a question.

"Yes, ma'am,"

"Orders, captain?" Another officer asked,

For a long moment the captain stared out the wall-window at the battle raging on land, above the jagged cliffs. There was a path to be sure that lead up and around the cliffs to the battle, but the ships were immobilized. She feared that by the time their engines came back online it might well be too late.

_'We're also sitting ducks here, _She thought to herself. There was only one option left. Two, more like. She turned to face the bridge.

"Get our watercraft in the water ASAP! I want our marines balls to the wall with grappling equipment to scale those cliffs! And I want all three of these ships to rain fire on those Brotherhood bastards! And get those damn missile systems back online _yesterday _people!" She clapped her hands loudly, twice, for emphasis, "_NOW!"_

"_Aye aye, captain!_" The entire bridge roared in unison, then scurried about to fulfill their duties.

Just as Captain Martel turned around to look across the ocean to the battle, she was blinding by a sudden white light, and a horrible explosion.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Junon Fields] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>Reij remained in the swivel chair, though took to removing grenades that were attached to a long string across his chest, and threw them far into the midst of the WRO. Each time one detonated and sent bodies, and body parts, into the air he couldn't help but laugh. He soon became filled with a sort of bloodlust, and considered leaping into the fray to personally end more lives face to face.<p>

"Lieutenant! She's all ready to fire, sir!"

That snapped the demolitions expert out of his blood soaked trance, and he turned to the switchboard. Again he pushed this button and pulled that lever, and started to push the red button, when...

A hand suddenly gripped his shoulder and yanked him from the chair. Reij reacted on instinct, thrusting out a fist to catch the WRO soldier square in the jaw. The man, stunned, withdrew a knife and slashed at him. Reij got a cut on his left arm, though nothing more than a flesh wound. Grinning all the while, he waited until the knife came back in, disarmed the soldier, before kneeing him in the ground and sending him off the massive weapon with a left hook to the nose. Not a second after the soldier hit the ground, a group of Brotherhood fanatics descended upon him with machetes and clubs, the dying screams a pleasant sound to Reij. He then turned and quickly mashed the fire button.

In his haste, the man had no idea that the iron wheel had been bumped and turned in the previous scuffle.

_**BOOM!**_

The shot was so intense that the Geo-leviathan actually slid backward a few inches, leaving deep ruts in the mud. The flaming missile shot forward.

And struck the sideways-turned ship. In a single moment it was reduced to a mushroom plume of fire, debris and shrapnel scattering every single direction. A few seconds later, the _Gaia _was nothing more than a ball of flame and smoke, quickly sinking and then finally vanishing between the roiling foaming waves. Cussing his rotten luck, Reij scrambled out of the chair, quickly vanishing into the hole that lead into the inner sanctum of the Geo-leviathan, the safety hatch clanging shut behind him a moment later.

On the opposite end of the field, Cloud had continued to trade blows with Hammerhand, leaping to the left of an attack to slash at the exposed wrist with the fully formed Fusion Sword. Then the mutant changed tactics, and actually began to throw punches that ricocheted off the sword, but continued to come. The speed at which one so massive still stunned Cloud and, with his fatigue reaching its height, found it harder and harder just to deflect the massive blows.

He heard the ground-shaking boom of the tank that was Reij's toy, saw the sudden blast of fire out of the corner of his eye, but never once took his eyes from the foe. When the ships first appeared, he had felt hope, and fought through his wounds, thinking that now they had a chance. Now, with one of the ships destroyed, that hope had been dashed, like a bucket of water to a candle. But it was replaced with a new feeling.

_Determination._

The blonde deflected a few more punches, and even ducked underneath a sluggish and awkward roundhouse kick from the mutant, before back-flipping away. His breath came in great rasps, and it took much of his leftover strength just to stand straight. In just a few seconds he dug deep into his mind, reaching for something that he had fought tooth and nail to avoid, but now felt that it might be his only hope of survival. He thought of Sephiroth, and all of the encounters in that morbid dream world. He recalled the so-called 'fight' with Zack, his last encounter with Aerith when she had said nothing could be done to be rid of the platinum haired nemesis. As if on cue, the voice rang clear in his mind.

"_I hope you're not expecting my help, Cloud," _Followed by a brief, evil chuckle, _"Though I'm glad to see you giving in to your true nature."_

"No..." Cloud muttered, the adrenaline already rising in his body.

A line of blue energy, thin at first but quickly expanding, rose from his wrists and swirled up into his sword, clenched tightly in both hands.

Hammerhand roared his gargling roar, and charged.

"I'm nothing like you!"

Cloud swung his sword.

The tip of the blade cut into Hammerhand's chest, and an unknown force threw the mutant backward. Powerful as the attack was, the mutant only left the ground by maybe a few feet, before slamming hard into the mud and sliding backwards several more feet than that. His girth plowed down several Brotherhood militia, burying them in the ground.

Instantly, Cloud hit his knees, barely keeping grip on his weapon with one hand. All of his strength seemed to have left him, and if death had coming calling for him in the form of a stray bullet or sword, he wasn't sure that he could have resisted.

Then a new sound echoed across the field of battle. Faint at first, but slowly growing more and more. Out at sea, the two remaining ships lolled back and forth on the crashing waves, made by the impact of the Geo-leviathan's missile. Any who weren't fighting for their lives and took a second to listen to this new sound, none could describe it. To Cloud it sounded like... a jet? An airplane? As if by chance, he glanced out to sea, just as the final bits of the _Gaia _sank beneath the waves, plumes of fire from the spilled oil still clinging to the ocean's surface. These patches of fire belched lines of smoke into the air. And then they all saw it. Cloud, Tifa, Vincent. By chance, they all were looking at the same place at the same time.

The clouds of black smoke suddenly parted as a massive airship suddenly zoomed over the sea and the raging battle. Any who took notice (including the WRO) did not know where the airship came from, or for whom it intended to fight for. It zipped through the air so fast that none could even catch more than a quick glimpse of it before it was little more than a speck on the edge of the sky. The airship banked to its left, came about, and seemed to slow just a bit as it passed over one side of the battlefield. From its left and right side, underneath both, and also along the underside of its front, hidden gun turrets blazed to life and shot streaks of yellow lead onto the enemy below. On one turn it eliminated nearly two columns of the Brotherhood.

"**WOOHOO! TAKE THAT YA PUSSIES! WOOOOOOO!**" A voice roared from the airship's outward speaker as it again banked left, turning a half circle around the Brotherhood flank and coming up from their rear. As the airship came up, it angled slightly to its left, a small black object detaching from its underside. To any taking notice, this black object was suddenly trailed by a thin line of fire and smoke, it rocketing through the air and ever slowly angling downward. Many of the rebels took little heed of the airship, but a second later, those around the Geo-leviathan would wish they had a moment too late. The rocket struck the back-end of the massive tank, the explosion so powerful that it forced the Geo-leviathan to flip forward and land upside down with a horrible clatter and crunch of steel, fire and black smoke belching from its underside. The Brotherhood rebels that were too close were likewise blown apart, showering those lucky to be far enough away with blood, body parts, and shrapnel that killed them a second later.

A mass of confusion ripped through the militia ranks, and many scrambled to try and regroup while simultaneously return fire to the WRO. First three battleships, and now an airship! A few in the rear of the army even turned and fled right then, thinking that with such heavy firepower, and with the Geo-leviathan now destroyed, there was no chance to win.

The airship came back around, slowing to a halt mid-air directly above the WRO army, "**HOWDY FOLKS!**" The voice boomed from the ship again, "**THOUGHT Y'ALL COULD USE SOME EXTRA MUSCLE! IS CLOUD DOWN THERE SOMEWHERE? AH! THERE'S THE CHOCOBO EXPRESS!**"

Cloud glanced straight up at the airship, half-scowling but quickly grinning ear to ear. Not so far away, Tifa and Vincent were likewise looking up, Tifa actually busting out in laughter, so happy that she was. Vincent managed a short and silent chuckle.

"**C'MON, BOYS AND GIRLS! LET'S WHIP THESE BASTARDS LIKE A GOVERNMENT MULE! YEEHAW!**"

Cloud took his eyes off the _Shera_ for just a moment, but quickly looked back up, as he caught sight of a figure descending from the skies. It was a faint smudge against a pre-dawn gray sky, but was easy to note that a parachute quickly released and filled with air above it. A second later, the _Shera's _engines roared to life, and the ship took off again.

_UuuuuuuuuuuuOOOOOOOO! BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!_

"You lot should have surrendered when you had the chance!" Deidra's voice roared from the _Odin_, "You've dug your holes, now you're going to be buried in them! All _Odin _and _Garland _crews, open fire!"


	23. The Big Push

**Author's note: **For this chapter, each dividing line will be accompanied by "Side A, B, and C." This is to avoid confusion, and to indicate which sides of the field our heroes are fighting on, before they reunite. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

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><p><strong>-Chapter 23-<strong>

**The Big Push**

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><p><em>Raise your swords up high, see the black birds fly! Let them hear your rage, show no fear, attack! Charge your horses across the fields, together we ride... into destiny! Have no fear of death when it's your time, Odin will bring us home when we die!<em>

_The ground trembles under us as we make our thunder charge, the pounding hooves strikes blinding fear into their heart! Our helmets shine in the sun as we near their wall of shields. Some of them turn and run when they hear our frenzied screams!_

_Draw your swords to strike, hear the black birds cry! Let them feel your hate, show no fear._

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><p>The truck moved along as a steady pace, though it did on occasion hit a hole or some other obstacle, rattling it rather violently. The driver seemed heedless of this, and continued on. On the back of this truck sat two forms, they having decided to escape the confines of an inclosed cab in favor of getting a little fresh air. The rains had stopped only an hour ago, and the surrounding landscape was evidence of that. Nothing seemed to remain of wood, road, or field. Instead, the entire world seemed filled with nothing but mud, with several large pools of muddy, murky water dotting the landscape as far as one could see. The truck would often roll through one of these puddles, spraying the sides, and also the back, with a brief splatter of muddy water.<p>

Such was one of the reasons why Yuffie had kept her cloak pulled tightly around her, and the heavy hood pulled low over her face.

They had been riding for what must have been several hours, though since her capture she had lost all track of time. There was only the here and the now. Once she rains had stopped, her captor had ordered a full stop, and they had moved to the back of the openness of the truck which they now sat. For most of the ride, Yuffie had kept her eyes down, concentrating on the dark metal of the truck bed and her feet. Now, light seemed to return to the world, and for just a few seconds she lifted her eyes, looking past her temporary prison of the vehicle, to the horizon. Dawn had started to break, the sun's rays splaying colors of pink, purple, red, and gold across the horizon. It was a beautiful sight to be sure, but the young woman couldn't seem to enjoy it fully. She had seen many sunrises like this in her life, and many of those during those first adventures with all her old comrades. Back then, when she was rarely awake before the dawn, she would often climb a tree to it's highest peak in order for the best possible view. Even during her days as a girl in Wutai she had often done this, much to the displeasure of her family. Yuffie tried to at least somewhat enjoy the view, taking it as a sort of sign, that all was not lost. After all, things could have turned out a lot worse.

At this thought, she let her eyes trail to the one sitting directly across from her. The bronze-skinned, raven-haired warrior shaman, Tormuj, with all those stupid multi-colored beads braided into his hair. His head was leaned back to rest against a wooden beam, eyes closed. He was dirty, covered in dirt and rivulets of water clung to his skin, and dried mud caked his boots. When the pre-dawn sunlight shone on his skin, the droplets of water shone briefly like so many diamonds. For just a split second, Yuffie was almost in awe of this man. The dark skin suddenly illuminated by the sunlight, a stark contrast when combined with his still darker hair. Had she not been this man's prisoner, she would actually find him worthy of pursuing right then.

Before she could look away, his eyes suddenly snapped open to stare at her, his dark-green eyes bellying a sort of affectionate warmth, "You like what you see, my lady?" He said with a smirk.

Instantly she forced her eyes elsewhere, her cheeks burning hot with embarrassment. She had to remind herself that this man had tortured her. Hidden underneath the robes, she moved a hand tentatively to her stomach, fingers hooking underneath the fabric of her shirt to trace across bare flesh. It was soft and smooth enough, until the tips of her fingers brushed against something rugged, ridged, something that just _felt_ ugly. The scar remained, from where his razor had cut her. He would probably say it was to prove his false loyalty, that it had to be done, but she would never believe a word of it. Though she still couldn't deny that this man was an enigma all his own. To look at him now, he carried an air of authority, which bellied a fierce warrior nature, but with a certain... _grace_ was the only word she could think of right then. She tried to sneak another glance at him from beneath the heavy hood, and when she found he was still staring at her intently, looked away just as quick and tried to pull the hood down further.

She heard him chuckle over the steady rumble of the engine, "No need to fear me, Yuffie,"

She kept her eyes down and again concentrated on her feet, "Why the hell not? You tortured me just as much as the other guy did!" Her voice was a bit louder than she normally would have allowed.

Tormuj never even blinked, "Remember what I said to you once? That I was only..."

"Playing the cards you were dealt," Yuffie cut him off. Even as she said the words, she could hear his own voice in her head speaking them, "Which still doesn't make any sense!"

He chuckled yet again, "It will eventually. For now, you just do as you're told and you may yet survive this war."

Yuffie withdrew into herself after that. After they had left Fort Condor she had since abandoned all hope of trying to figure out the mystery that was Tormuj, lieutenant of the Brotherhood of the Planet. He had fed her, saved her from a near gang-rape, held a knife to her throat threatening to open it if she resisted, vouched for her in some form to the rebel leader it seemed... and now he talked to her like they were good friends. The good did seem to outweigh the bad, but it to her, it didn't change the fact that he not only slit open her stomach, but broke her hand as well during the same incident.

"Where are we going, anyway?" She finally said at length.

"Can't tell you. I'm afraid," He responded.

Now Yuffie looked up, locking eyes with him, "Why? What does it matter? I'm surrounded by enemies, deep in 'your' territory. Hell I don't even know exactly where I am! I have no weapons or any supplies, I'd probably get lost and die of starvation, if a warg didn't eat me first!"

Then Tormuj smirked again, "I sense you're about to arrive at the point sooner or later,"

Again her face flushed, this time in anger, "Point is... obviously I'm not going anywhere anytime soon! So why not tell me?"

"As I said... assuming you survive the war, and I do as well, everything will eventually make sense,"

"Right now the only sensible thing would be wringing your neck and being through with it!"

One of his daggers suddenly appeared in his hands, and he slowly twirled it around, "If you are feeling brave, my lady... by all means." He continued to smirk. "Maybe you succeed, maybe you make it past these other men here. But of that subject, you're forgetting one thing."

She never blinked, "I guess you're about to tell me," She said flatly.

At that, he leaned forward, and said in a menacing undertone, "I'm the only thing that's keeping these 'fine' soldiers from doing what Reij's men almost did to you," His eyes darkened then, but just as quick returned to normal and he leaned back again, speaking in a normal tone, "Assuming you managed to kill me, what's to keep them from killing you, or worse?" Here he tapped the side of his head with an index finger, "Think about it."

She stared at him long and hard, wondering just how much of a chance she would stand against him. Her muscles were taut, her legs shaking in anticipation. But in the end, she again lowered her gaze and instead looked to her right. Behind the truck she was sitting in, five more rumbled in single file, each one carrying at least four men, not counting the driver and passenger. It seemed Tormuj (and thus the mysterious rebel leader) were taking no chances in transporting their apparent valued prisoner. Tormuj had said she was a valuable tool in the upcoming war, but the significance of that was lost to her. She turned her head again to her left. Four similar trucks were ahead of her own, also single file. She studied the direction the vehicles were moving, then studied the position of the sun. They were headed west, she knew. But west to where? Junon was still far to the north, so they couldn't be headed there. She was still unfamiliar with the region, so she could only assume they were headed towards the sea. To a transport ship, maybe? Maybe she was going to be sent back home to Wutai, or somewhere out of the Brotherhood's reach.

"Your eyes betray you, Yuffie," Tormuj's voice broke her from her pondering.

"Wh...what?"

"You play the stoic indifferent, yet your eyes swim with a million questions and wanting all of them answered." His voice was calm, collected.

She shook her head, "I've given up trying to even figure you or your intentions out." She let the statement hang in the air for a bit, and when he parted his lips to speak she interrupted him, "And don't feed me that," here she paused and tried to imitate him as much as possible, "you will understand everything in time crap!"

Now Tormuj laughed, sliding the dagger back into its sheathe at his belt, "I have to say I certainly admire you now, my lady. Most girls would have cracked by now... but you remain resolute. Determined, you haven't lost any of that inner fire. You may yet survive us all."

Yet again Yuffie's face flushed, feeling as though she was being mocked. She studied the exposed flesh of his neck, the way his Adam's apple twitched up and down as he laughed. If only she had a knife on her, a pointed stick, a sharp rock... anything! One little thrust and he would be dead.

"What do you want anyway?" She finally dared ask,

He finally stopped laughing, and slowly leaned forward, propping his arms on his knees. He looked first to the left, then to right, as if to make sure there would be no unwanted ears listening. Then he leaned closer still, and whispered a single word, "Peace."

Before Yuffie could open her mouth to speak, the truck came to a sudden halt, brakes squealing, tires straining against the rutted earth. She was nearly thrown through the cab of the vehicle, but Tormuj's wiry but surprisingly strong arms caught her and quickly set her back in place. Behind, the rest of the convoy likewise skidded to a halt, and men started to clamber off and out of them.

Tormuj stood up in an instant, walking towards the back of the truck but stopping just in front of Yuffie. He reached for one of his daggers, and slowly brushed the edged side along her throat, "Remember what happens to little girls who run," He said, switching back to the false accent, before hopping off the truck.

The touch of the cold gilded steel on her warm neck caused her to shiver, and Yuffie once again tried to pull the hood further down. She allowed herself to look up, as Tormuj was exchanging words with who must have been a higher ranking officer, but lower still than the shaman's own rank. They were standing away from the truck, ten feet away perhaps, and speaking in hushed tones. Yuffie strained her ears to try and catch pieces of the conversation. She heard 'three shadowed figures' and 'possible WRO spies' from the officer, and 'one truck' and 'no more than five men' she was sure she heard from Tormuj. A minute later, the officer wheeled away and started barking orders to the last truck on the column, but he was soon forgotten as Tormuj rejoined her.

Her curiosity prevented her from keeping her mouth shut, "What's going on?"

The man smirked that typical smirk, running the tip of his tongue across even white teeth, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She again went silent after that, and not long after the trucks again rumbled to life and were on their way again. A glance over her shoulder showed that the final truck had remained behind, and was instead wheeling around and headed in the opposite direction.

On and on they rode, and an hour passed before she decided to speak again, "Where're you from?"

The question seemed to puzzle the man, he cocking his head to the side, and didn't answer.

"Well?" She probed again.

"Why?" He replied smoothly.

"I'm assuming its a long way to wherever we're going, and I don't expect I'll be treated much different than before. Might as well get to know each other,"

Tormuj laughed at that, "You assume much, Yuffie. Do you think niceties will allow them returned during your imprisonment?"

"You could have killed me half a hundred times, or let those men rape me. You're not a bad person."

"Oh, but I am," Again his eyes seemed to darken, but he averted them elsewhere, towards the horizon. "I've done many a horrible thing, before and during my service to the Brotherhood. I expect I'll do many more after my service as well, assuming a WRO bullet doesn't introduce itself to my head first!" Despite the morbid thought, he laughed yet again.

Yuffie was only slightly disturbed, but didn't let her facial features betray her. The plan seemed to be working, "Like what sort of things?"

"I've killed men," Came the immediate reply.

"And you expect me to believe you feel GUILTY over that? Look at who you work for!"

His sudden sharp, cutting glare silenced her immediately, "Tormuj Nairo works for no man but himself."

"Yet you work for..." She began, but was cut off.

And as if to emphasize the point, Tormuj again switched to his fake accent, "This one has sworn fealty to the silver-haired man, aye. However, this one does as he chooses, as you should well know, girl. The glorious leader wanted other tasks of this one, to be sure, when this one instead came to rescue you. A man must have a code, and this one only delights in the killing of those that deserve it."

His speaking in loopholes quickly caused Yuffie's head to hurt, but she spoke regardless, "You mean you haven't killed a single WRO soldier?"

There was that familiar smirk again, and he now dropped the accent, "A story for another day, my lady. We should reach our destination by nightfall."

"I want to know now."

Here Tormuj casually reclined back, arms propped on the sides of the truck, and he looking away to the east, "As I said, a story for..."

There she found her moment, and sprang into action. Faster than even she could process, she quickly sprang forward, right hand snapping out from under the heavy cloak to rip one of his daggers from his belt. He rose in question, and she never hesitated in thrusting the dagger toward his stomach. A hand caught her wrist, and twisted it just hard enough to force her to drop it to clatter loudly against the truck bed. She yelled in pain, and the other man seemed to disappear. Not a moment later, he came up behind her, second blade pressed tight against her throat, left arm tightly wrapped around her midsection, just below her breasts. His grip was solid iron, and hugged her tightly against his own body; she almost couldn't breathe.

"You ever try that again," He hissed into her ear, "And I might just reconsider how valuable you might be." As he said that, he pressed the blade tighter still, and very slowly dragged it across the side of her neck. She felt a hot line of blood run down her neck, and venomously whispered, slowly emphasizing each word, "Do... you... understand me?"

The fear took her again, and she slowly nodded, feeling the cutting knife and the line of hot blood down her neck.

Yuffie was then shoved forcefully back into her seat, her hood blowing back to reveal her features. Before she could blink, Tormuj had retrieved his knife and was again seated. He waved a gesture at the truck behind them, as if to say he had the situation under control. Her heart still beat ninety miles an hour it seemed, but she knew now she couldn't free herself from him. Not without her own weapons at least. She now wondered what had happened to everything she had?

"Hate me all you want, Yuffie," he finally said after yet another hour of silence had passed, "but you and I have big parts to play in this war. And win or lose, I intend to see that both of us see our roles through to the end."

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><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

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><p>The blonde warrior huddled behind an overturned truck, as much to shield himself from the Brotherhood bullets as well the artillery that rained down from the ocean. He was certain they didn't mean to purposely aim at or around him, he was simply too deep into the enemy's ranks. Since then, he had fought back toward the WRO army's side, often having to cut and duck his way through the barrage of fire.<p>

Overhead, _Shera _again zoomed by, and Cid's voice cackled from the outward speaker, "**WOOHOO! GET SOME! GET SOME! YEEEEEAH!**" all the while the ship's own artillery cut deeper and deeper swathes into the rebel ranks. The bulky airship swiftly maneuvered this way and that, skillfully dodging rockets and other such things; any stray bullets that struck it didn't seem to leave even a mark.

Cloud watched this spectacle with a slight smirk, as the _Shera_ banked to it's right and came up behind the WRO. The ship seemed to slow, and he saw several square shaped objects detach from the underside and lazily drift among the allied soldiers, their descent slowed by parachutes.

_'Supplies_,' Cloud thought to himself, standing up with renewed vigor. Now he had to get back to the safer side; he needed a healing salve badly. If not several.

He waited until the battleships briefly ceased fire in order to reload and, giving one final glance to the burning heap that used to be the Geo-leviathan, bolted from cover. He caught an enemy in the jaw with his free hand, sending the man head over heels into the waiting mud. Another ran up from the left, throwing out a rifle. Cloud swiped with his blade, severing the weapon in two, and bashing the man with the butt-end of the Fusion Sword. He didn't pause to see if that man was still living, and only ran on. He looked to his left, toward the ocean, and saw _Odin _and _Garland _raising their forward turrets a little higher into the air. Over the constant gunfire and screams, he thought he heard a low-pitched whirring sound. He knew he didn't have much time, as any second now they would resume fire and he'd be caught in the middle. Cloud didn't have time to register his next thought, as he suddenly ran into something extremely solid. Falling backward, he threw out his free hand and backflipped back onto his feet, throwing Fusion Sword out at a defensive angle.

Hammerhand stood there, gurgling softly.

"You know, I'm getting sick of seeing your ugly face!" Cloud yelled, hoisting the weapon up higher, "How about I cut it off for ya?"

That seemed to amuse the mutant, and laughed his usual throaty, gargly laughter, as though he were drowning. The sound was already too familiar with Cloud.

" ..nyyy...Clowwwd..." Hammerhand gargled, "Diiii...iiiee...eee..."

Then the mutant lunged.

Before Cloud could respond a split second later, a large fireball struck Hammerhand square in the face. The missile came so hard and fast, the mutant was thrown backward to violently crash into the ground, leaving a perfect imprint of his entire body. Having shielded his eyes and turned away from the sudden blast, Cloud again turned back. The entire front of Hammerhand's facemask was charred black, and much of his upper attire was also seared and burned away. Puzzled, he whirled around. And was immediately face to face with four metal turrets attached to a gun-graft.

"**WHAT UP FOO'!**"

Cloud nearly fell over, and felt a blissful surge of deja vu, "Holy sh... Barret!"

The large man stepped forward with a hearty laugh, slapping the other male on the shoulder with his left hand' the impact nearly sent him to the ground, "Second time in a year I've saved yer ass, Spikey! When the hell you gonna start paying me back!"

Cloud felt a laugh escape him, and he slapped his left hand over the top of Barret's, still on his shoulder, "Today might be a good day to start, don't you think?"

"Ha ha! I got this, chocobo head! I don't need..."

Cloud suddenly ripped from Fusion Sword the smallest blade, reared back, and chucked it over Barret's shoulder. The larger man turned around quickly, eyes wide, to see a man larger still than he, with the small sword buried deep in his chest. He held what looked like a wood splitting axe, and had intended to bury it in Barret's head.

"Well..." Cloud said with humor, casually moving to retrieve his weapon, "That's one."

Neither one seemed to notice that Hammerhand stirred slightly, then rolled over onto it's stomach and slowly rose to tower over the two. Beneath the charred facemask, the dinner-plate sized eyes seemed to bulge and seemed like to burst in their sockets.

Cloud slid the smallest blade into the largest yet again, and slid one foot forward. However, Baret's hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him backward. He turned to meet the blonde's puzzled look.

"I got this ugly mug! You go find Tifa and Vampire Man! Tell 'em the rest of the cavalry is here!"

"You don't think they got the message already?" Cloud said, pointing with Fusion Sword into the sky at _Shera_.

"Sure! But I mean the rest of the _cavalry_ is here!" Barret laughed, waving his gun arm around for emphasis. "Now get the hell out o' my way, Spikey!"

Cloud nodded, grinning one final time before dashing away into a cluster of WRO.

Barret then turned back to the hulking mutant, taking a couple casual steps backward, "Right, freak! You want some more!" And thrust out the turret guns.

He didn't hesitate, and the guns began to spin, the turrets themselves also spinning, sending a wall of gunfire over the enemy. At least a hundred shells hit it each second, and Hammerhand raised a giant arm to shield its eyes, stumbling back a few steps.

"Ha ha ha ha! Whatchoo' gon' do now, foo'!"

As if in answer, Hammerhand suddenly twisted to the left and ripped up a passing WRO vehicle, and held it in front like a sort of shield. Instantly, the bullets _clangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclangclang'_ against the vehicle drowned out most other sound. Barret didn't let up however, and once Hammerhand realized this, charged forward with a roar of rage.

Barret in turn rolled off to the side, the _'thump-thump-thump!' _of the passing enemy shaking the ground. He looked up just in time to watch as Hammerhand plowed through WRO and Brotherhood alike, before skidding to a halt and turning again to face him. Smirking, Barret raised his weapons and began to fire, when a series of what sounded like explosions rang to his right. Turning, he saw _Odin _and _Garland_ had released another barrage of gunfire. The bullets slightly arced overhead, and were barreling down over the Brotherhood ranks.

Right where he and Hammerhand were standing.

"Well, damn... this ain't gonna be good!"

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><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

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><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Side B] ` ` ` ~<em>

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><p>Smoke filled his eyes and quickly began to fill up his lungs; he was upside down, resting on his shoulders, and his legs bowed over his head. Groaning, he fought through the confusion of his own brain, and moved in the appropriate direction. He had to keep telling himself that everything was backwards and vertically reversed, but he found his way easily enough. At least, as easily as one could menuever, completely disoriented and with eyes full of smoke. Throughout, he continued to cough and hack, which only proved to spur him on faster. Finally, he located the door he was looking for, and threw his upper weight against it. It didn't budge. A slight panic rose up in him, and he wiggled and pushed and tugged on the handle. Still the door didn't give an inch. His panic rose, and he was almost certain this was going to be his grave. Buried in the belly of his own creation...<p>

_'Shit... I ain't goin' out like a pussy...!' _He screamed inside his own mind. Quickly, he turned his body around, reaching overhead to grasp a steel bar with both hands. Lifting his right boot, he thrust it out as hard as he could. _'Clang!'_ Nothing. He did it again, this time using both feet. _'Clang clang!' _The door remained solid.

_'Ain't... going out... like this...!'_

He mustered the last of his strength, and this time raised both legs together. Yelling, he thrust them out as hard as his remaining strength allowed.

_'Clang!'_

The door flew from its hinged to collide loudly against the remains of the Geo-leviathan. Reij clambered out not far behind, coughing and gasping for fresh air. He was still underneath the main muzzle and the remains of the weapon, laying upon his stomach. He coughed and sputtered a few more times, until his lungs were full of fresh air. Then he slowly began to drag himself through the mud and blood, in case the massive tank's weight betrayed him, and he was crushed beneath steel and iron. That never happened, however, and he was soon free of that particular danger. He then pushed himself up to sit on his rump, slowly looking around through heavily watered and blood shot eyes. All around him was death, broken and mutilated bodies of both WRO and Brotherhood. Their blood leaked out from their bodies to pool over the murky water and turn the mud a strange color. Their faces all looked up at him, each of them frozen forever in that last moment of fear and pain before the infinity of death.

_'You did this...i _He mused. _'All of this is your fault... their blood is on your hands, you bastard..._'

The thought brought a large smile to the man's face.

A pair of hands suddenly gripped his shoulders and yanked him to his feet. Before he could assume it was a friendly, his back and head were slammed hard into the back of the ruined tank, causing his vision to flush even more. Unable to see, his swung hard at his attacker, only to feel a fist wrap around his arm and twist it away. This was followed immediately by a fist connecting to his jaw which sent him back into the muck. He sat there a moment, stunned, when that same hand slapped him hard across the cheek. This forced his vision to clear, and the first thing he saw... ruby colored eyes and dark hair.

_'Lockhart!' _Reij screamed inside his head.

"Wake up, Reij," She coyly said, hoisting him back up and again slamming him into the ruined Geo-leviathan, "I want you to see me when I end your pathetic life!"

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><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

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><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Side C] ` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>From his vantage point in the sky, and thanks to several overhead monitors, Cid could see much of the battle as it raged on far below. He yanked the large steering wheel hard to the right, the <em>Shera <em>banking in the appropriate direction, while at the same time stomping on a hidden button with his right foot. This caused the protruding turrets to retract back into the ship, and the automatic systems reloading them before thrusting the guns back out to resume fire. To his right and left, two crewmen sat in high backed chairs behind large cannons. These cannons extending through the protective glass outside of the ship, and fired small grenades and fireballs at the enemy below.

"Shit! These bastards don't know when to quit, do they?" Cid shouted, reaching over and yanking back a small lever.

This in turn made the engines suddenly groan in protest as they were shut down almost entirely. _Shera _trundled by overhead at a snail's pace, and Cid ordered all possible forward, side, and back artillery into overdrive. The crew could hear the rapid clanging of return fire from the ground, but the bullets did little more than scratch the airship's outer shell. However, more and more rebels died by the score as the ship's weapons continued to mow them down alongside the two surviving battleships in the bay.

"They just keep coming," One crewman commented, He

Cid flashed the man an angry stare, "Ya think I can't see that, numbskull?"

Indeed, the enemy to ally ratio seemed beyond count, and Cid mused that the rebel leader had sent all of his forces against Junon and the WRO resistance. Even from so high up, the black forms that looked like ants, scattered across the landscape and advancing in several columns, seemed to stretch on and on.

All the more reason to kill every single one of them. Then the threat would be over.

"Right, I can't stand here anymore! I'm goin' in!" Cid suddenly proclaimed, pulling another small lever to send the airship into autopilot. _Shera _continued to slowly trundle along, raining fire on the enemy below.

"Captain, you think that's a good..." One crewman began.

"Shut yer' damn mouth!" Cid snapped back, stepping away from the helm and retrieving his spear from an overhead compartment. "You got the wheel!" He said, pointing to another crew member, "Keep her goin' nice and easy! If I need ya, I'll send the signal!"

"Aye, aye, captain!" They all said, saluting him as he passed.

Cid rushed down the hallway, boots clanging, snatching down a parachute pack from a rack as he passed it by. Once he reached the appropriate destination, he leaned his spear against the wall and threw on the pack, quickly buckling and fastening it to his body. His adrenaline picked up, and he soon discovered that his hands were shaking out of excitement. Remembering one last thing, he turned around and grabbed a second pack from the wall, securing it tight around his waist to as not to lose in in the freefall. After, he pulled a microphone down from over his head, and clicked it on.

"Ready, open 'er up!"

A loud _clang_ and a sharp hiss of air later, and the door in front of him suddenly whipped open, the ensuing strong gust of wind knocking the man back a couple steps. Still, he swallowed what little fear he had and gripped the silver spear even tighter. Again he grabbed the mic and barked a command into it.

"Get me over the WRO and Brotherhood lines! I'm gonna hit these bastards where it hurts!"

A few agonizing minutes passed as the crew directed the airship to the appropriate spot. Below, it was easy to see the two lines of the opposing armies, and the thin line where the two came together in combat. Cid timed his jump carefully, trying to keep align with where he wanted to go. He took five steps backward, sucked in a deep breath, and bolted out the open hatch door.

"_**YEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAWW!**_"

Instantly the wind whipping past his ears was all he heard, but he kept his body straight and pointed downward, like one of his trusted spears. Like a rocket he fell down, down down, angling his body to change direction. After only a few more seconds, he pushed his body back upward and yanked on the security cable and released the parachute. In a flash it deployed and filled with air, slowing his descent dramatically. The easy part was over. He fumbled through his pockets until he found what he was looking for: a small ear piece. He jammed it into his ear and pushed it on.

"Gimme some damn cover, ya morons! These bastards'll shoot me full of holes before my feet touch ground!" He yelled.

On cue, the _Shera _suddenly zoomed forward, angling around to its left and coming up from behind where Cid was falling down. The pilot moved a little too close, however, and the sudden violent wind gust shook the parachute and nearly turned it inside out. Cid was shaken violently, and he almost dropped his spear.

"Fucking shit can't you assholes do anything right!" He screamed as loud as he could, thinking the crew inside the ship would hear him.

However, he looked back down just in time to see a sizable fireball rip into the Brotherhood ranks, clearing an area and scattering still more enemies. He smirked at that, and prepared for the hard part. By now he was close enough to the ground that he could at least somewhat tell which army was which, and he pulled the guiding chords and angled himself so that he was straddling the line where the two met. When he was sure he was a safe distance to the ground, he twirled his spear around so that it faced downward, then yanked on yet another chord, and detached the parachute from his back.

The unfortunate first victim never even saw it coming, as a silver spear suddenly was driven into the back of his neck, forcing him into the waiting mud and was killed instantly. Cid ripped the weapon free with a hoot, and jumped into action. He spun around, twirling the weapon in the opposite direction to bash one militant across the face with the butt end, then thrust it in the opposite direction, the tip driving into the chest of another. Without ever stopping he jumped forward, claiming the lives of two more enemies before the rest could even register what was happening. The WRO soldiers moved back a step until they realized the newcomer was an ally, then they surged forward with renewed vigor.

Cid pole-vaulted over the allied soldiers into the waiting horde of enemies, flicking four lit sticks of dynamite deeper into the enemy. The sticks landed several feet apart from each other, sending bodies and dirt into the air to shower the battlefield. He landed a moment later, smacking aside a pistol aimed at his head and sucker punching the wielder in the throat. Throwing that one aside, Cid raised his right boot and managed to kick another enemy in the chest, spear thrusting out to catch the man behind that one in the neck.

"C'mon ya pussies!" Cid howled over the carnage, "That all ya got! Eh?"

He then took a step backward when he felt another body collide with his own. Whirling around, Cid thrust the spear out to where a man's head normally would be. He only struck air, and a second later felt a gun pressed against his temple.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Side B] ` ` ` ~<em>

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><p>He wasn't going to escape this time.<p>

Tifa's arms went underneath Reij's and threw him through the air, to crash against an overturned, half-charred vehicle. She was behind him a split second later, left boot leading the way. Like before, Reij looked up a second too soon and moved out of the way. The impact from Tifa's strike shattered the fragile and burnt metal, her entire leg going through it up to her thigh.

Just enough time for Reij to run up and grab a fistful of hair and yank her backwards. Tifa landed back first into the mud, quickly rolling to her left as Reij's boot stomped where her head used to be. Flipping upward, she lunged again. This time, Reij caught her swinging fist and attempted to launch her over his shoulder, but she forced all of her weight downward and merely landed behind him. She whirled, landing a kick across his face, scurried forward, and connected an uppercut to his jaw. Reij stumbled backward, before his knees trembled and he fell backward with a grunt.

Tifa slowly slunk forward, wiping a thin line of blood from her lip, "What's wrong, Reij? You look half-dead already." She said in the most taunting way possible.

Moaning, Reij slowly sat up, spitting out a half broken tooth, "Why don't you go...ah... go to hell, bitch!"

The woman grinned, yanking him upward and head-butting him square in the jaw, "Not before you, you tool,"

Reij landed with a solid sound, this time spitting out a wad of blood and what remained of his half-shattered tooth, but the grin never left his face, "You really are a desperate whore, aren't you?"

Tifa never moved, never blinked, and even let the man slowly stand up.

"What, nothing to say now, bitch?" He continued, casually crossing his arms over his chest.

Tifa watched him carefully, "Mind games aren't going to save you now," She said flatly.

"I don't expect 'em to!" He laughed, "I do have a few more cards to play though!"

"Like what?"

Here, Reij smiled an evil smile, his blood-stained teeth, his matted hair, and the gore and dirt sticking to his face made him look truly evil, "The satisfaction of knowing my boys ravaged your little Wutai friend,"

Instantly, Tifa's heart dropped down to her feet, and she couldn't stop herself from gasping out loud, "Yuffie...?"

The evil glint in the man's eyes deepened, "Yeah, that skank. Told my boys to have some fun with her before they killed her. Probably still got her bent over even now!"

The rage inside her spiked, and she screamed loudly as she charged across the field. However, on the third stride, she stepped on something solid, obviously not loose mud that caked the entire battlefield. Sheer sudden instinct told her to stop before she took another step. And then she heard it, a high-pitched buzzing sound.

She had stepped on a land mine of some sort. He must have thrown it down while she was distracted.

"And there's my second card, dumbass!" Now Reij cackled with childish glee, "Soon as you step off that little baby you're gonna be nothing but a pile of... well, nothing! Ha ha!"

A new kind of fear overtook Tifa, and she felt truly vulnerable, helpless. Even more so than when she and the children were attacked. This time, however, she knew there was no escaping this. That she had crossed over a line she never should have. Tears quickly welled in her eyes and were soon flowing freely down her cheeks, but despite it all she refused to give this monster the satisfaction of hearing her sob. All she could do was stare at him, her gloved fists balled so tight that the leather of her gloves gave way, and began to rip around the wrist area.

"Aww... whats-a-matter Lockhart?"

Suddenly, she didn't hear the screams, the explosions, the gunfire. All she could hear was her own heartbeat; everything else was background noise. She had come here for no reason it seemed, that all the promises she had made were nothing but smoke. The promise that what happened to her would never happen to her or anyone again. The promise that she would see these battles through to the bitter end. The promise that she would do everything in her power to take revenge on the one that did that to her in the children... nothing but smoke.

Now Reij moved around her tauntingly, just out of arm's reach. He would on occasion jump at her with a "Boo!" before stepping back and laughing.

The thought of Cloud only increased the flow of her tears, and she feared that he would be the first one to find her blown to smithereens. At this, she choked back her sobs and refused to give in to despair. She had made a promise, before it was decided that the WRO would try and retake Fort Condor. She had promised that she would do everything in her power, and do everything she could, to protect the Planet and all her loved ones. With everything that had happened leading up to this moment after Geostigma... she was satisfied that she had done just that. She would die knowing she truly did all she could. That all of her friends would remember her for that, and that they would never forget her. Here, she turned her head towards the sky, where the sun broke through a thin line of clouds and seemed to shine directly on her.

At this, she smiled, "I did everything I could. Guess I'll be seeing you sooner than I thought," At this, she looked down at her arm, where the pink ribbon still wrapped around her bicep.

Reij sneered, "Right, just die already, you bitch!" Then he lunged.

Tifa slammed her eyes shut, and she felt both her feet leave the ground.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Side C] ` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>Cid never paused a moment to look at his attacker. As soon as he felt the gun pressed against his head, he threw himself toward the ground, the charged forward, intending to take his attacker around the midsection. However, the enemy gripped his shoulders and threw him aside. Snarling, he pushed himself up, spun, and again thrust out the spear. He felt something grab the weapon and push it to his left, even heard a faint <em>clang <em>like metal on metal. He would have continued the assault, but he heard a familiar voice call his name. Only then did he force his adrenaline down and actually look at his would-be attacker.

"V... Vincent...?" Cid choked out, once he saw the red bandana.

Vincent in turn, nodded, "Cid,"

"Fuck me running!" Cid laughed out loud, "Slap me around and hand me to my mama! Vincent!" He balled a fist and punched the gunman in the arm, "Didn't think I'd see you here!"

Vincent huffed, not seeming to notice the punch on his arm, "Didn't expect to be here."

"So what in the shit ARE you doing here? Not that I'm complaining, and looks like the WRO needs all the help they can get!"

"Long story," Vincent replied, "If we both survive this day I might just tell you."

Cid grinned, "Ya damn right you will! In the meantime... let's work together, eh!"

Vincent wasted no time no darting past the blonde male, left hand gripping the throat of a militant who had a rifle aimed at Cid. The gunman turned, violently snapping the man into the air. Cid in turn pointed his spear upward, letting the man impale himself, before turning and booting the corpse off the weapon.

Cid then took a step forward and, in a similar manner, caught another enemy by the scruff of his shirt and thrust him toward the crimson gunman. Vincent whirled around and put a bullet between his eyes, before kicking him backward to crash against an advancing team of Brotherhood members.

"Say, where the shit is Tifa and Cloud?" Cid yelled as he disemboweled another enemy.

Vincent fired three more shots, and three more enemies knew no more, "I don't know," He replied simply.

Up above, _Shera _rumbled past, her turret guns blazing and taking out more Brotherhood around them, but skillfully not coming anywhere near either of the two. Cid waited until the ship ceased fire and moved on to another throng of enemies, throwing his back against Vincent's.

"Think it ever ends, Valentine?" Cid asked, holding his weapon vertically, tip pointed down.

"It never ends," Was all Vincent muttered, before throwing himself deeper into the fray.

Just then, a horn blared, faint at first, but slowly growing louder. Cid turned toward the ocean, but it hadn't come from the battleships. And he knew for certain it wasn't the _Shera_. Looking around and taking out another foe, Vincent had vanished amidst a sea of black cloth. Finally, he turned toward the northeast, and for a moment his heart stopped.

A second army had crested the ridge and was now barreling directly toward the WRO flank.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Side A] ` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>Cloud tucked and rolled past a pair of Brotherhood machetes intended for his head and in one swipe eliminated both of them. After confirming those two were in fact dead, he quickly darted behind the remnants of the Geo-leviathan as the battleships fired another barrage onto the battlefield. Cloud watched all of this, as men and women continued to die by the score. By now, the enemy was severely outgunned, but they didn't appear to mind it one bit as they had the strength of numbers.<p>

'Will that even matter in the long run?' Cloud mused to himself. Obviously the WRO were going to fight to the last soldier to protect Junon from the invaders, but what about the Brotherhood? What psychotic orders did their leader give to them? Fight to the last man? It seemed to be the case, and that that's exactly what they all planned to do.

To the enemy, it was a numbers game. The bigger the number, the bigger chances for victory.

Once the heavy fire ceased, Cloud again darted out from cover, spinning around and letting his blade lead the way. Each time he swung, one or two more enemies died. Once he had just a moment of reprieve, he fumbled around in his inner pocket and removed a potion bottle he picked up from a supply box. He downed it, gagged, then shook with goosebumps as the energy returned to him. Then he spotted Barret not so far off, and started that way.

Barret meanwhile, had been clubbing and shooting his way through scores of Brotherhood. He rounded one side of a parked vehicle only to face a line of ten militants in a perfect line, their guns all aimed at him.

"Show's over, big man!" One of the rebels said.

Barret paused, then slowly sneered, "Shiiiiit... openin' act ain't even started yet, bitch!"

In one quick motion, the metal graft formed into the turret guns, and a second later, all ten of the rebels (and a few more besides) lay dead and bleeding in the mud.

_'Thump! Thump! Thump!_'

"Damn, not this freak again!" Barret complained as he heard the ground-shaking footsteps of Hammerhand. Quickly, he looked around, and devised a different plan.

Using his left hand, he flipped a small switch on the inside of the gun graft. This in turn caused the gun muzzles to recoil, and were instead replaced by four set of metal pincers. Looking up, the giant mutant had started his way, and slowly picked up the pace. Turning around, Barret shoved the graft into what remained of a burning vehicle, the pincers digging deep into the metal and clamping down tight. Using all of his strength, Barret whirled around once, twice, three times, then released the burning heap of metal. Hammerhand saw it coming, but charged in regardless. Then the burning mass struck it with a sickening sound, and was throwing backwards, pinned between the vehicle and the ground.

"Ha ha! Take that, sucka'!" Barret howled in triumph.

Hammerhand merely swatted the debris aside as though it were a pillow, and slowly moved to stand again. His corded and discolored skin was now riddled with burn marks and hunks of charred flesh hanging on by a thin tendril of skin. The smell was even more unpleasant than the sight, and Barret retched when it hit his nose.

The mutant's chest rose and fell in great heaves, "Yoo...oouu...Cloo...owd...friii...end?"

Barret quickly tried to find a way out, or another plan, but none came to him right then. Instead, he puffed out his chest and laughed, "That's right, foo'! Me an' Spikey go a long ways..."

Not waiting for the man to finish, Hammerhand lunged.

Barret then felt a heavy force land on the top of his shoulders and push down hard, actually forcing him backward into the dirt. Thinking he was under attack, he rolled backwards and shot back to his feet, swinging the metal graft around in hopes of catching some poor militant unaware. Instead, he saw Cloud standing on the shoulders of Hammerhand, Fusion Sword cleaved deep into the mutant's left shoulder. The monster didn't seem to even notice, and soon had the blonde wrapped in a meaty fist.

"Shit! Hang on, Spikey! Here comes the thunder!"

Barret hurled himself across the field, catching a passing rebel with a left hook that instantly broke his jaw. When he came within range, he thrust the grafted arm (and thus the four sets of pincers) outward, and caught Hammerhand in the stomach. The metal claws dug deep into the leathery flesh, and forced the monster to release it's hold on Cloud. Once the blonde was clear, Barret heaved the giant over his head and, using the beast's own weight against it, slammed it head first into the ground behind him. The combined momentum and force of the strike left the mutant buried upside down to chest level in the ground. It would normally have been a comical sight, save for the battle still raging around them.

Cloud appeared at Barret's side a minute later, his sword heavily coated with blood, "Guess the count's back up to two, huh?" The blonde attempted to say with a bit of humor.

Barret grunted, "That was a big ass bitch, Spikey! I say that counts for three!"

Cloud smirked, "But I sunk my sword in him before he could get to you, so I saved your life. If you say three, then the count goes back to two."

"Yeah, whatever, foo'!"

Then something caught the corner of Cloud's eye, and he jerked around to look in that direction. Tifa stood there, one foot in front of the other, with a man slowly circling her. Something didn't feel right, and he took a step that way. Why was Tifa not fighting; why was she just standing there? Then the sunlight glinted off of something beneath her right foot, and he knew at once what was going on.

"Damn it... hey, Barret!"

Barret picked up another militant and hurled him through the air, "What?"

Cloud gently nudged the other man with the butt end of his blade and nodded towards Tifa.

"Damn it! I got this foo'!"

"No," Cloud said sharply, "Something ain't right." He turned to look the other man dead in the eye, "How's your throwing arm?"

Barret looked dumbstruck, "You can't be serious!"

"As serious as I've ever been... foo'."

Grunting, Barret disassembled the graft arm, using the metal hand to grip Cloud's pants, the other hand clutching tightly to the scruff of his neck, "Hope you know what you're doin', Spikey!"

Cloud nodded, "Mach 3, make it a curve ball." Then sucked in a breath of air for courage.

Barret yanked the other man off his feet and turned a complete circle five times, then on the sixth turn hurled with as much strength as he could muster.

Cloud shot through the air faster than seemed possible, and it took only a second to cross the distance between Barret and Tifa. And the last possible moment he caught sight of the other man lunging at the female. In return, Cloud swung the dull-end of the Fusion Sword at the attacker, swatting him away. His arms then flung out, catching Tifa around the middle and pushing her out of harms way. Not a split second after the fact, the land mine detonated and sent a pillar of dirt and bloody mud into the skies. Cloud twisted his body around so that it was he who struck the ground.

They tumbled and skidded a few more feet before coming to a halt amongst a throng of WRO soldiers, all of whom quickly rushed to their side and pulled them to their feet. Cloud was back at Tifa's side in a moment, "Tifa, are you okay? Tifa!"

She had been looking down the entire time, but when she heard that familiar voice, she slowly looked up. Tears still ran down her cheeks, and she blinked several times, "Cloud...? Am I... dead?"

Cloud nearly laughed, but instead gently placed his hands on her shoulders, "No, you're very much alive, babe. You okay?"

His answer was she throwing herself against him, lips finding his and both of them ending up back in the dirt, she atop him. Many of the surrounding WRO soldiers laughed at the sight, and even bent down to pat her on the back and he on the shoulder. They lay there for only a few seconds, before both found their senses and quickly stood up.

"I'm so sorry, Cloud! I just... I just knew that I was about to die."

Now Cloud did laugh, "I'm starting to think you like playing the damsel in distress, Tifa."

She blushed and punched his arm, harder than she intended, "You complaining?"

He grinned, "Never."

Then something seemed to catch Tifa's eye, as she suddenly jerked her head to the side. Cloud followed her gaze and saw the mysterious man who had lunged at her, mere moments before he had saved her. This man sneered, lifting his middle finger at the two, before turning and disappearing amongst a group of soldiers. Cloud took a step forward, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"No, it's my fight."

"Tifa?"

She looked up at him with a fiery glint in her eyes, "It's Reij. The one who ordered the attack on the bar. He's mine, and no one else's."

Cloud started to protest, but realized it would be a losing battle, "Okay. But watch where you step, okay?"

She smiled, leaning up and planting another, albeit this time brief, kiss on his lips, then stuck out her pinky finger, "Pinky swear, Strife."

Then she was gone again in the direction Reij had fled, sending one militant after another into the air with every swing of her fist.

"Yo, Spikey!"

Cloud turned around in time to thrust his arm out and catch the Fusion Sword. Barret stood less then ten feet away, and nodded.

"You ever lose that thing again and I'll kick yer' ass!"

Cloud nodded in response, turning around and preparing to swing on another militant, when a spear fell from the sky, impaling the man through the chest. Confused, but not wasting time to think, he turned yet again to face the next foe, when a loud gunshot rang out and that one fell over dead, a bullet hole in his head. He then heard two familiar voices.

"Hey, spike trap!"

"Take a break if you want."

Cid landed next to the speared enemy, yanking his weapon out with a smirk. Vincent appeared not long after, sliding another cartridge into his gun. Barret ran over to join them.

"What up, dead-man!" Barret said with a grin, slapping Vincent on the shoulder.

"Fuckin' miracle you're all in one piece!" Cid shouted over the clamor, smirking at both Cloud and Vincent.

Vincent huffed, "Hardly the time or place for an emotional reunion,"

Barret laughed, "Man, you're still a buzzkil, dead-man!"

"No, he's right," Cloud threw in, hefting the Fusion Sword over his shoulder, "But it's damn good to see a lot of familiar faces."

"Yeah, no shit!" Cid threw in.

"What's the sitch anyway, Spikey?"

Cloud shook his head, "Kill them before they kill us," He then turned and pointed toward the battleships _Odin _and _Garland_, "Seems Reeve and Rufus pulled a trick out of their hat. And with _Shera_ here too, we have them seriously outgunned."

"_Hilariously _outgunned more like!" Cid cackled.

"But it doesn't seem to matter," Cloud continued, "Just look around."

That seemed to sober everyone up quickly. Barret spoke next, "Wait a sec'. Where the hell is Tifa?"

"Dealing with a personal vendetta. She's all right. Thanks, Barret."

Vincent was next, "All hope may not be lost."

Cid nodded in agreement, "Yeah, he's right!"

"The hell you talkin' 'bout, foo'?"

The gunman nodded toward the northeast, "See for yourself."

Not waiting for another reply, Cloud darted past the three of them, shoving his way through WRO soldiers and looking for the highest vantage point. His only option was the smoldering remains of Geo-leviathan, and he quickly ascended the rubble to its highest peak. He turned towards the northeast, and squinted his eyes. A thick line of another army had passed over the valley and was charging straight toward them. Cloud panicked, and opened his mouth to shout a warning, when Vincent appeared at his side and gripped his arm.

"No. Watch and see."

Confused, but trusting in the man's judgment, Cloud did as told. Not long after, he noted that the battleships had ceased their firing, as had Cid's airship. This only further added to his confusion, but he didn't say a word. The Brotherhood rebels meanwhile, began to cheer and taunt, knowing for sure that reinforcements had arrived and that victory was soon at hand.

The stampeding force suddenly veered off and instead charged the Brotherhood flank. As they drew closer, a wall of army vehicles with solid walls of steel and spikes grafted to their grilles lead the force. Behind them were foot soldiers and other small-tier vehicles with mounted guns. The force, scattered at first, quickly drew close together to form a **V **shape, with the tip aimed directly at the heart of the rebels. By the time the enemy realized what was happening, it was too late.

The first line of armored trucks and soldiers ripped into the Brotherhood flank with a deafening clash of gunfire, steel striking steel, and crunching bone. The newcomers' charge could not be stopped, and before long the entire army of the enemy was drastically cut in half, the first half pinned between the newcomers and the original line of WRO.

_Uuuuuuuuuoooooooooo!_

Yet another horn sounded in the distance, and from the rear of the Brotherhood thundered yet another line of soldiers. This one followed the same formation, a **V **shape, and cut a deep swathe into the rear of the dark-clothed invaders. Cloud watched all of this with silent joy, completely elated at the sudden turn of events. The entire enemy army was now sandwiched between the WRO.

Cid appeared right then, banging the butt-end of his spear against the ruined tank for emphasis, "General Warick and Commander Burkhalt's forces, spike trap!" He answered in response to Cloud's questioning look.

Barret clambered up the debris to stand next to them as well. "Ha ha! Maybe I was wrong about the ShinRa after all! Whaddiya say, Spikey? Time to kick ass and take names!"

'_Cu-clang!_''

They all turned toward the noise, and found Tifa standing there, smiling a small smile, and spitting out a tiny wad of blood. She moved to Cloud's side, patting the shoulder of Barret, Vincent, and Cid as she passed them. She then looked up at her childhood friend, and winked, "A lesson in humility?" She said.

Any trace of doubt or fear in Cloud was gone right then. He didn't bother to question Tifa on Reij's fate, but instead looked to her, then to the other three. Each in turn nodded their silent agreement when they made eye contact. He nodded his own agreement. Thus, all five friends stood atop the smoldering remains of the very weapon that stole away Fort Condor from the WRO. The nearby soldiers saw the five of them, black smoke swirling into the mid-day sky behind them, and felt a new surge of courage and strength. Somewhere not far off, a soldier yelled a command, and the WRO force surged forward, pushing the enemy further and further away. The five of them watched this with confidence in victory, and even with a hint of amusement.

"You gotta hand it to Reeve," Tifa commented, the others turning to look at her, "He knows war tactics."

"Damn right!" Cid laughed, "Don't think I could'a done a better job myself!"

Cloud allowed a small smile, but something caught his attention, far to the south. Out beyond the final ranks of the armies, a billowing dust cloud was slowly growing. Goosebumps raked his arm, and something didn't seem right. He turned to Cid.

"Don't suppose you have a pair of binoculars in that pack, do ya?"

"Actually, I do!" Cid reached into the pack around his waist, producing the binoculars. He then looked through them in the direction Cloud indicated.

"Whatcha see, foo'?" Barret asked after a long pause.

Another longer still pause followed, and Cid suddenly swore, startling the others.

"What's wrong?" Tifa inquired, a hint of worry in her voice.

"Ya better take a look at this, spike-trap!" Cid said, thrusting the binoculars into Cloud's waiting hands.

Cloud looked closely. A smaller convoy was rushing across the fields towards the rear of the WRO line. There were maybe three or four trucks, one of them being a flat-bed tractor-trailer. On either side of the eighteen-wheeler, two large flags bearing the Brotherhood's insignia flapped and thrashed in the wind. This struck Cloud as odd, as there were only three trucks charging against a much larger force.

He handed the binoculars to Tifa, then spoke, "Something isn't right. Why would they be sending so small a force against greater numbers?"

In answer, Barret hopped down and vanished from sight. A few minutes later, he came rumbling up in a WRO armored hummer, revving the engine for emphasis, "Let's go find out, gang!"

After clambering in, the vehicle sped off, angling around to travel along the other perimeter of the raging battle. Vincent, having situated himself on the outside, continued to take pot-shots at any enemies that wandered too close. Finally, after a few minutes, they came to the rear flank of the allied soldiers.

"See anything yet, Spikey?"

Cloud stepped out, followed closely by everyone else. He clambered to the top of the vehicle, and again looked through the binoculars. Just in time to see two compartments open up on both sides of the three approaching vehicles. The eighteen-wheeler however, sported four, two to each side, and one on top of and slightly behind the other.

"Son of a... this isn't looking good." He muttered.

"The Brotherhood has played their own trump card," Vincent muttered so quietly, the others almost didn't hear him.

"The shit are you talking about, Vincent?" Cid swore. Behind him, Tifa began to look worried.

And not a moment too soon. The trucks were close enough now that the five friends could make out the details easily enough. Cloud heard a familiar voice, turned, and ran towards the speaker who was red-faced and shouting comands.

"Commander Burkhalt!" Cloud yelled as loud as he could.

"Ah, Mr. Strife! Bloody glad to see you're here, lad!" He was dressed in typical marine attire, but had two straps laced in an **X** over his chest, filled with shotgun shells and other such things. To Cloud, the man looked more a stereotypical action movie hero, than an army commander.

"Listen, commander! Something isn't right here."

Burkhalt scoffed, "What isn't right is these idiot's heads! Three trucks against three hundred? Don't worry, son! I've got things covered here; we'll make a meal of 'em quick like!"

At that moment, the rapid whooshing and hissing of propelled grenades being fired filled the air. The two smaller trucks flanking the larger each veered slightly off, one to the left, the other to the right. Then all three released their entire volley. Rockets shot forward, each trailed by a thin line of white smoke, and began to zig-zag up and down as they went. The rockets each scattered in random directions from the volley, and on impact exploded instantly. Some struck the front lines, others managed to zip past the first few lines of soldiers before striking either a soldier, or the ground.

In a few short moments, three hundred turned into less than one hundred.

Instantly, chaos reigned, as people screamed and died, others tried to collect themselves and regroup. Cloud groggily stood, trying to collect his senses, and slowly looked around. Burkhalt was nowhere in sight, and neither were any of his friends. A frag had struck a few feet away, and the only thing that saved him were a line of other people that took the brunt of the blast. Bleary eyed and coughing, he took a few steps, reaching over his right shoulder and un-fastening the Fusion Sword from his back.

"Tifa...! Cid...!" He called feebly, coughing a few more times and spitting out dirt and spittle. "Vincent!" Another coughing fit, "Barret!"

The only answer he got was the continuing screams of dying soldiers. Then his knees buckled and he fell down to one, coughing and forcing out the last wads of whatever that was choking him.

_Hisssssss._

The sound of am eighteen-wheelers air-brakes engaging.

That forced Cloud out of his stupor and he shot to his feet, wiping the moisture from his eyes to clear his vision. The tractor-trailer had angled around and pulled sideways, so that it's entire left side was facing what remained of Burkhalt's forces. On the small upraised platform of the flatbed trailer, and at the very end just above the tail-lights were large mounted guns, a burly and masked militant standing behind them, and aiming the weapons right at Cloud. But that wasn't what nearly caused the blonde to fall back over. At the very center of the trailer, a small foot tall platform had been erected, with four steel beams on each corner of the square platform. And each beam had a taut, thin chain hooked around each, and firmly held a figure, standing on the aforementioned platform. On either side of this figure, still two more masked men, heavily armed, stood and aimed their rifles. The center figure then threw back his hood in a quick motion. Cloud's face instantly drained of all color.

"Mr. Strife! At last we meet face to face!"

The silver-haired man!


	24. Dominus Deceptio

**-Chapter 24-**

**Dominus Deceptio**

* * *

><p><em>Fallen soldiers taste the steel of death, the daylight dawning. The sun will shine upon the lives of burning hearts of ice. As you break through the boundaries of life, this feeling of despair<em>

_And they die in their sleep for a world that will not care. _

_You feel lost in the labyrinth of pain, this feeling of despair, there's a voice inside that's calling another wasted day. Can't you see the history, the suffocating madness? In the land of Fallen Souls there's nowhere left, no place to go._

_I have traveled far and wide across this wasteland, still searching for the answers, for the right to understand. Burning fires, burning lives on the long distant roads, through the lost mountains endless so far away from home._

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` `[Somewhere west of Fort Condor]` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>Three forms shuffled through the knee tall grass, trying to remain as silent as possible. Around them, tall pines and oaks stretched into the sky and (they all hoped) further hid them from unfriendly eyes. Up above and through the canopy of trees, the sky was a dark shade of blue as the sun slowly began to rise, and soon the only other sound besides their rustling footsteps was the chirping of birds. All of them were tired, hungry, and dirty, and wanted nothing more than for some sign of friendly life.<p>

Such as what Reno thought as he trundled along, three strides behind Tara, and Rude two steps behind him. Ever since they spotted that Brotherhood army some days ago, there had been no signs of human life except for the three of them. No Brotherhood, no WRO, not even a single sign of a civilian.

'They're all either hiding somewhere safe or fighting in the war,' The redhead decided. An insect suddenly bit him on the cheek, and he swatted it away.

"Damn it, what the hell do these bugs eat when they can't get Turk?" He complained out loud.

Tara, still walking, shot the redhead a fowl look over her shoulder, "If you don't keep it down, bugs are going to be the least of all our worries!" She half-whispered.

Reno scoffed, not even trying to hide it, "Like what, doc? We haven't seen any signs of life in days! What exactly are we hiding from?"

Rude picked up his pace and put his good hand on his partner's shoulder, "Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there,"

Reno pushed the other Turk's hand from his shoulder and stopped walking, "I'm pretty sure if the rebels knew where we were, they wouldn't just stand around with their thumbs up their asses!"

Tara had walked a few more steps before she realized the two men were no longer following. She turned and started back toward them, "We're not going to get there any faster, you know,"

"And we're damn sure not gonna make it there period without some food and rest!" Reno complained.

Tara narrowed her eyes, "My god you sound like my sister. Are you a man or a woman?"

Before Reno could retaliate (likely with his fists, or his stick,) Rude stepped between them, and faced the female medic, "Enough, both of you. Look, Miss Norfolk, the road's taken a toll on all of us. We're hungry, tired, probably even going a little crazy from the isolation."

"But what I'm saying is..." Tara started.

Rude cut her off, "We all want to get back and find out what's going on, sure. You think we don't? Your reasons are justified, but unfortunately my partner here is also right. And anyway, Edge isn't going anywhere; at this rate the rebels could burn it all to the ground before we got there regardless."

Tara's temper flared then, and she had to hasten to calm herself. She couldn't bring herself to argue against the man's logic right then.

"The sun's coming up. A couple hours rest and food will help us all out," Rude said matter-of-factly, and that ended the discussion.

"Sheesh," Reno whispered through his teeth, "You know the world's gone to shit when the stoic man-of-few-words has to be the voice of reason!"

The redhead was rewarded with a punch to his arm.

Despite the debate, the trio mutually agreed to continue on just a little further, in order to locate a more secluded area to set up a temporary camp. After traversing for another half hour, they came upon a circular clearing, surrounded by thick copses of trees. What caught their attention though, was at the center of the clearing, an old fire pit sat. The three went on high alert, Tara readying her pistol and quickly scanning the trees.

Reno slowly stepped towards the pit, and began to stir the surrounding dirt and mud with his stick, "Yo, doc. Looks like this ain't been used in a while."

Tara moved closer, squatting down to further examine the pit, and the ground around it. She nodded, "You're learning, Reno. Whoever originally used this hasn't been here in a long time."

"What's this even mean?" Rude asked.

Standing, Tara looked around, more closely studying their surroundings. "Hmm... give me a second, boys. Start gathering wood. I'll see if I can't find a stream or something," Then vanished amongst the brush without another word.

She returned twenty minutes later, carrying two leather water skins, and tossing them both at the two Turks. By that time, they had accumulated a fair sized pile of firewood (though to Tara, it was too excessive considering she hadn't planned on staying long,) and a small cook fire was already burning.

"Luck continues to follow us, boys. I found a stream not far off. It's small, but we can fill our skins up again before we leave."

Reno had propped himself against a tree, digging a small hole in the dirt with the sharp end of his stick, "So where are we exactly? What was with the pit?"

Tara dug into her pack, and removed the last two rabbits they had. She had shot them a few days ago, and it was decided that if they weren't eaten now, the meat would be fouled far beyond to eat safely. She began to prep them, "_Exactly_ where I'm not sure. But if I'm remembering my bearings, this forest is popular with brush hunters. Rabbit, squirrel, possum... you name it. Looks like this is just a camp site for whoever passes through and wants to use it."

Reno raised an eyebrow, "And how do you know for sure?"

Tara glared at him, but instead of saying what she wanted to say, all she replied with was, "Because my uncle used to take me hunting in forests just like this when I was a little girl."

That ended that argument.

An hour later, after everyone had eaten, Tara sat across from Rude, the burning fire between them; Reno had excused himself to a thick bush not far off. Tara sat cross legged, palms cupping her knees, and Rude reclined against a tree stump, one leg stretched flat, the other pulled close to his chest. Neither had said a word, hadn't even looked at each other, and the only sound came from the crackling flames.

Tara let herself get lost in her own thoughts. They were the same ones that had plagued her since her own little adventure began. Not so much thoughts, as they were nagging questions. What was going on in Edge? Who was winning the battles? Was her family okay? Where was Yuffie? Would she ever see any of them again? Would she ever even make it out of the wild and back to her loved ones?

"What do you fight for, doc?"

Tara took in a sharp breathe, startled at the sudden noise. She looked up, to find Rude had removed his sunglasses, and was staring right at her. "Wha...?"

Rude chuckled softly, "I've caught you staring off into space when you think we're not around. You're hell-bent to keep soldiering on until our feet fall off or we die from exhaustion."

The female raised a brow, somewhat suspicious, "What's your point?" And in truth, she was a bit irked. All those times she thought to be alone, they were spying on her!

He chuckled again, but it was more of a scoff, "Don't give me that look. It's... admirable? Not a word I'm used to, but..." He cleared his throat, "Something drives you. And while we're still alive and stuck together, why keep a barrel of secrets?"

Tara looked away and felt a blush creep up her neck, "I'm not forcing either of you to stay with me,"

Now Rude's tone turned serious, "But you're not going to abandon us, either."

"And how do you know that?" She bluffed.

"Because you're a good person. If you had it in you to abandon us to fend for ourselves, why would you patch us up in the first place?"

The flush now spread to Tara's cheeks, and she turned away in prideful embarrassment.

At that moment, Reno emerged from the shrubbery, zipping his pants back up. He had heard the whole thing, "He's right, doc. I like to think there's more good people than bad in the world, but with all the crap going on... well, you know. You _are_ a good person though, Tara."

That startled her, as it was the first time he ever called her by her name. The blush deepened further still, and she felt like her cheeks were on fire. 'I'm a good person...' She thought to herself. She had never doubted it, but to hear it from two people she hardly knew?

"You never did answer my question," Rude quipped.

She considered the situation a moment, then reached beneath her shirt to remove the locket from around her neck. After flashing it to the bald Turk, she threw it over the fire, and he caught it.

Rude, using his left hand slowly opened the locket, and studied the two photos. On one side, was Tara, and a sandy-blonde haired young man with a backwards baseball hat on. In both of their arms they cradled a baby girl, with green eyes and light hair. On the other side, Tara stood embracing another female, their faces and bright smiles turned toward the camera. They could have been twins, except that Tara was a head taller than the other. Both were donned in full WRO combat gear, red covers and all.

"My husband Marcus, our daughter Rose," Tara said, "And my sister Trinity. You asked what keeps me going? They do."

Rude allowed a small smile, and threw the locket back to the female, who promptly returned it to her neck and tucked it back inside her shirt.

"What about you two?" She asked after a time. "Any family?" This she asked while looking at Reno.

The redhead flopped down onto his rump, then reclined backward to lay flat on his back, ankles crossed, palms cupped behind his head, "None I care to remember. Unless you count Rude here, and a few other people."

Rude nodded in acknowledgment, "Likewise,"

"No siblings, parents, any sort of blood family?" Tara inquired.

Both men shook their heads. To Tara, that seemed... depressing, crushing even. She couldn't imagine not having her own family. But then she paused, and studied both of these men carefully, and she had a realization. From just the short time the trio had been together, it all made sense now; the way the two communicated, acted around each other, transitioned from serious to prankster. These two were closer than any blood-related brothers could have been. They WERE each others family; when one fell, the other was always there to pick the other up. Odd as it might be to an outsider, there was a deep comradery between these two that she could respect.

"Well, I don't know about you guys!" Reno suddenly said, pushing himself to stand, "Think I'm ready and good to go! Unless you wanna stay here, doc?"

Tara smirked, even accepting the offered hand from the redhead and hauled herself up, "Right, but let's clear the site. Put out the fire, scatter the leftover firewood. The less it looks like someone was here recently, the better."

Afterward, the three began the task of cleaning up the site. Tara had to make several trips from the fire to the nearby stream with two meager water skins in order to completely douse the fire, and the two Turks began to clear brush, sticks, and other such things from the area. At one point, when Rude picked up a handful of small twigs, Reno picked up a thick oak branch and declared, "Yo, Rude! Check it out, mine's bigger than yours!" And thrust his hips, and the branch, obnoxiously.

They kicked loose rocks and grass over their tracks, and even further smothered the ash filled pit with dirt. After, there was no visible sign that any had been in the area for a very long time. They all then gathered up the remaining loose supplies, hoisted their packs, and started off again towards the north. Always northward.

The clearing was hardly out of their sight when Reno piped up, "So doc! Tell me about your sister. She got a boyfriend, or...?"

Before Tara could even register a response, a noise caught her attention, and she swiftly held out her arm and stopped in her tracks, "Quiet!" She muttered.

Reno looked dumbfounded, "What? I was only asking..."

"I said quiet!" She hissed, snapping her head around to give the man a venomous look.

Both men moved silently to her side, crouching alongside her. It was Rude who spoke, "What is it?"

Tara strained her ears, even moved a little further away. Up ahead, the terrain crested slightly upward, a small hill that ended the forest line. By now, she was flat on her stomach and crawled just to the edge, then remained still. Finally, she rolled over to face the Turks, and they saw her lips mutter a single word.

"Trucks."

They were at her side in an instant, and sure enough, there was a line of at least ten trucks moving even further into the west. Tara suddenly remembered something and, throwing off her pack, furiously dug through it until she located the binoculars. Looking through them, the head of JENOVA that was the sigil of the Brotherhood rebels was clearly painted on the sides of the trucks. It was hard to tell just how far away they were, but one truck in particular caught the woman's eye. It was unmarked, slightly bulkier than the others surrounding it. On the back of this truck sat two figures. One was a hooded form, their back to her so it was impossible to tell who it was, or even if It were male or female. And across from the hooded form, was a sight that made Tara's blood boil. It was the dark-skinned man who had attacked Yuffie and her at the battle of Fort Condor, and still he wore that same smug smile.

Without thinking, she moved her left hand within her shirt just above her chest, to feel the small scar there where this man's knife had struck her. She remembered it all like it was earlier that day, and vowed to put a bullet between his eyes for what he did to her, and to Yuffie. Regarding this mysterious figure across from him, Tara assumed it was either some unknown, though obviously valuable prisoner, or even another of the Brotherhood's commanders.

"Hey, doc! What's going on?" Reno whispered. "Should I start yelling to get their attention?"

"Only if you want to die," Tara replied flatly, "It's a Brotherhood convoy."

She heard him groan, "Aw, man! First sign of life and it's those fucks!"

"We should get moving," Rude stated simply.

"Wait... something's happening,"

Tara watched the entire line come to a sudden stop. Looking around, nothing much seemed to be happening, until she directed her vision to the final truck at the very back of the line. Instantly she cussed, flung herself backward, and dragged the two men with her behind the ride.

"The fuck, doc!" Reno complained, brushing himself off.

"They saw us," Tara breathed, her heart beating a hundred miles a minute, "One of the soldiers in the rear had binoculars, he was looking right at us."

"Oh... fuck... me," Reno sighed each word slowly.

Rude said nothing.

After a few tense minutes, Tara allowed herself to return to the crest and survey the area below. Nine of the trucks had since continued on, but the final one, the one who had seen them, changed direction and was headed right for them!

"One truck's headed this way. I count seven men, including the driver and passenger." Tara said.

"Whelp! It was nice knowin' ya guys!" Reno said sarcastically.

"Not funny," Tara said, shoving the binoculars back into her pack, then standing and darting the opposite way. "Come on, follow me!"

And on they ran, ducking under low hanging branches and leaping over up-turned roots and rotted logs. Tara was surprised that Rude kept a good pace despite his injured arm. The thickness of the trees slowly began to grow thicker and thicker, until finally only one person could slip between two trees. And while the rumbling of the approaching truck had stopped, they could still faintly make out the headlights, and now heard the shouting of men.

When they stopped to catch a breathe, Reno spoke first, "Great, man! We're totally screwed!"

Tara thought fast, "Not if we're smarter than they are,"

"What are you thinking?" Rude asked.

Still the woman's mind raced a mile a minute, and she looked this way and that, studying their surroundings. Many of the trees were as thick as two feet, but almost all had low-hanging branches that, at a glance, looked sturdy enough. Here and there, thick patches of shrubbery, consisting of both bright green healthy leaves and multi colored dying ones, littered the forest. Directly above her head, a thick branch sticking straight out reached out ominously; a quick check of her belt revealed she still had the thick rope with her.

"They're getting' closer, doc! Why the hell we still standin' here?" Reno said, his voice an inch away from panic.

Then it all came together perfectly. She turned to face the Turks, and grinned. "Divide and conquer."

"Wha? What the hell are you..."

By now, Tara was unfastening the rope from her belt and quickly wrapping it over her shoulder, "They can't kill what they can't see, right?" She motioned to the trees and the thick brush, "And they can't kill us all together if we aren't together, right? Divide and conquer."

Now Rude understood, and smirked, "Guerrilla warfare,"

Then it clicked on for Reno, who had also been studying everything around them, "Hey, good plan, doc! Not my style, but if it means I get to park my ass nice and cozy back in Edge, let's do it!"

"Rude, are you sure you can fight?" Tara asked.

The bald Turk scoffed, "I'd be more worried about yourself, doc. Don't worry... these guys won't know what hit 'em!"

Then without waiting for another word, the three of them scattered in different directions.

Reno threw himself at the closest tree, after securing his sharpened stick to his back using his belt. At first he felt almost silly, like a monkey or a little kid climbing up a tree. Then a moment later, he realized his own surprise at how easily he jumped, caught the next branch or foothold, and hoisted himself still further up. He had been watching Tara and trying to learn as much as he could, and it seemed now those lessons were paying off! As he ascended, he devised a plan of his own, and paused once he could comfortably stand straight to locate a suitable vantage point. He found it a moment later; one branch from the tree he was now in, and another from a separate tree stretched towards each other and met between the two. Once he reached this point, he removed his stick, and took step after careful step down the length of one branch. He heard no creaking, cracking, the branch didn't seem to bow under his weight. Grinning in approval, he stood dead-center, gripping his weapon in both hands, the spiked tip pointed downward. He saw one of Cloud's friends do something similar multiple times, how hard could it be?

As he ran, Rude removed his right arm from the sling, then quickly discarded his overcoat, undershirt, and tie, though not before removing a single item from his jacket pocket. Wrapping all of these in a tight bundle with his sunglasses at the center, he threw them into a large open trunk of a tree he passed. In an instant, he found what he wanted, a mud puddle. Slightly grimacing, he pinched his nose, shut his eyes, and dived in. He rolled and roiled and thrashed until he was certain he was covered head to toe. Then just as quick he dived into a nearby pile of leaves, repeating the previous roiling motions. A quick check of his reflection in the murky water showed his planned disguise was as good as it was gonna get. He then attached the item retrieved from his jacket, to his right wrist. It appeared to be a gauntlet, starting at the wrist and stretching five inches up the arm. Four small belts secured the device to his arm, and when he flexed his arm, a three inch blade retracted, just beneath his wrist. Though his right arm was still injured, Rude was confident it was well enough for this secondary attack. After, he shuffled into a nearby thick bush, hoped that he blended in well enough, and waited.

Removing her survival knife, Tara quickly measured out and sliced exactly two feet of the rope, and one end she tied into a makeshift noose. This she fastened to her belt for later use. She then glanced this way and that, different ideas flashing through her mind and how best she could use the environment to her and her comrade's advantage. Looking up, the trees were too high and too thick with interwoven branches to create a proper swinging trap of some sort. There was no means of quickly fastening a noose trap in which once an unfortunate rebel was hooked she could simply yank one end of rope and it was over with. Instead, she twined what rope she had left between two trees, and quickly covered them in mud and leaves. She then ducked behind another tree, removing her pistol and ejecting the cartridge. Seven bullets. Improvisation, or dumb luck would have to play heavily into how she survived. But she _would_ survive. She _had _to. For Marcus, Rose, Trinity. For _Yuffie_.

The voices were very close enough, the men's heavy boots thundering and crashing through the brush like a pack of wild beasts. Peeking around the tree, Tara could make them out now, could even catch bits of pieces of conversation the militants shared. The woman sucked in a breathe, prayed Reno and Rude weren't so far away, then prepared herself.

From his position, Rude determined that the men were behind him, with the bush between him and the enemy party. His heart rate kicked up now, and he tried to devise a plan. Looking down, he saw a handful of small, smooth stones. He grabbed a handful, then peered through the brush. He counted five men headed to his left, with the other two walking away from his position. Looking past and around the five men, he waited, held his breath, then flung the rocks over the bush and towards the men. The sounds of pebbles striking hard wood sounded like firecrackers going off in the thick, silent woods, and the sounds reverberated and bounced around several times, making it seem like it was raining rocks.

Instantly, the entire militant group went on high alert, brandishing their weapons and turning all around to locate the source of the noise.

"The hell was that!" One called. He paid for it with the butt end of a rifle to his sternum.

"Quiet, ya idiot!" The attacker spat.

Reno saw all of this from his perch, and nodded in approval. The group was still a few yards away from him, and devised his own plan. He shuffled to the side, hiding amongst a cluster of branches and leaves. He then broke off a half-dead branch within arms reach, and flung it straight down to the base of his own tree. Again that set the rebels on edge, and the five clustered tighter around each other, guns pointing outward.

Tara heard one militant mutter, "Playin' mind games, they are,"

"Or this forest is haunted!" Another commented.

The leader sneered, "Bunch'a superstitious women, shut the hell up! Fan out and find the bastards, two to a team. I'll stand here and keep a look out. And if any of ya run, I'll have your ass nailed to my truck!"

So it was then two met set out in one direction, two more in the opposite, leaving the leader to stand right where he was. Always they carefully put one foot in front of the other, though that didn't stop loose branches cracking loudly, or the leaves to rustle about as they walked.

One team of two started Rude's way, but they were still a good ways away. Turning, he spotted another thick bush, and decided to play the odds. He waited until he was certain the pair weren't looking directly at him, crouched down low, and quickly shuffled into the next bush, remembering to drag his feet.

"Whoa! You see that?" One of the two whispered. On instinct, he threw out his gun and prepared to fire. Rude flinched.

The other man pushed his partner's gun to the ground, "Take a chill pill, man. You wanna give away our position? Was probably an animal or something."

"Still, I got a feeling. Let's check it out. Push come to shove, we got a beast for the pot!"

"Agreed," And the pair started towards the bush.

Rude's adrenaline surged then, and he had to be careful how he took these two out. He picked up a sizable rock with his left hand, about the size of his fist, and waited. Once the two were close enough that he could smell their breath, the camouflaged Turk sprang into action.

As soon as his body cleared the bush, left arm snapped out, smacking the rock straight into one man's temple, sending him to the ground with a thud. His partner managed to fire a single shot, but by then Rude had twisted around, slapped his left palm over the man's mouth, and drove the three inch wrist blade into the side of the man's neck. The force sent a sharp pain down the Turk's right arm, but he grit his teeth and dug the blade as deep as he could. The man's mouth gushed blood through Rude's fingers, then he was gently laid to the ground and was no more. Rude quickly finished off the other man who lay stunned, opening his throat and silencing him with his free hand.

Then there were five.

The single shot had caught the attention of the nearby leader, who turned towards the noise, and slowly started that way, keeping his rifle straight up. Rude noticed this, and, quiet as he could, shuffled into hiding. He then noticed his partner up above, and devised a new plan. He moved from tree to bush, then back to a tree, making just enough noise to catch the man's attention.

Reno watched all of this with a smirk, "Attaboy, Rude," He whispered to himself. Rude moved just underneath him, then moved away to the next tight cluster of trees. The man never saw it coming; once he was directly underneath Reno, he held his breath for courage, gripped the stick with the sharp end pointed downward tightly, then stepped off the branch.

_THUMP! Crrrack!_

And then there were four.

"Shit...! Broke my stick!" Reno cussed under his breath, but dove behind a line of trees.

From her own point, Tara peeked around the two trees and saw the first pair of men starting right towards her. Off to her left, only a few feet away, her disguised rope slung between two trees, just high enough to catch an unfortunate person in the right spot. She looked again; both men only seemed to have pistols, but some form of machine guns were slung across their backs. By now she had no idea where the two Turks were, or where the other men were. But with no better ideas in mind, she stuck with the one at hand. She touched the locket beneath her shirt for courage, then pulled it down to show just a generous amount of cleavage, and, after tucking her pistol behind her pants, stepped out from behind the tree.

"Hey, boys!" She called coyly, sauntering towards them.

At first the pair pointed their weapons directly at her, then slowly lowered them, grinning.

"Well, who'd have thought to find such a pretty face in the deep dark woods, eh?" One man smirked.

"Find such a dumb slut, more like!" The other commented.

Tara ignored her own revulsion, throwing off her combat vest, and even slowly pulling her shirt over her head to toss it aside. She winked at the two, left in nothing but her pants and bra; the pendent still hung around her neck. "Slut, is it? Are you complaining?" She purred. "I'll take good care of you boys if you let me go free?"

The second one laughed, "Not likely! Though you will be taking care of us whether you like it or not!"

"Well, come on then," Tara whispered huskily, "I'm a big girl. I can take it."

Both men continued to advance, hungry glints in their eyes; they had since holstered their pistols and threw their other weapons to the ground. Tara noticed the obvious bulges in the front of their pants, and nearly retched up the rabbit she had eaten earlier. Once they were within arms reach, Tara snapped. With a quickness she didn't know she had, she suddenly ripped her pistol free and shot the second man right between the eyes.

Then there were three.

She had quickly fired another shot, but in a panic she only nicked the man's ear. Turning, she ran as fast as her legs would carry her, the other man's cussing and gunfire following close behind. She felt two bullets zip by her legs as she ran, then turned a sudden corner around a tree, but not before hitting her rump and sliding across the wet ground. The man followed close behind, and was met with the disguised rope clothes lining him across the throat. The force flipped him backwards to land on his stomach, and he coughed and gagged. Tara was straddling his back in an instant, grabbing a fistful of hair and yanking his head back. Slowly, she reached for her survival knife, pressing it tightly to the man's Adam's apple. She leaned down and whispered directly into his ear.

"The problem with you men? God gave you two heads and only enough blood to use one at a time."

Then there were two.

On the other side of the forest, Rude again took cover within a thick bush. Reno was not far away, and between the two of them stood the remaining two militants. Neither seemed to have a care in the world, and were even noisily making jokes about what they would do once they got back to Junction Town.

Reno had heard enough, and violently shook the bush he was hiding in. Obviously, both militants started that way, only for Rude to do the same thing and rattle his own bush. This went on for only a minute, until both militants opted to check each bush themselves.

One man got to Rude's hiding spot before the other got to Reno's and the bald Turk again sprang from hiding. Batting the weapon aside, he dug the wrist blade deep in the man's skull, another violent shock of pain racking his arm. The sole survivor saw this, and threw out his rifle to the attacker. Rude looked up, his head caught directly in the cross-hairs of the weapon. At the last moment Reno lunged from his own hiding spot with a yell, right hand gripping the militant's chin, the other, the top of his head.

_SNAP!_

And then there were none.

"Nice job, partner!" Reno said after.

"You too,"

"Hey... where's doc?"

It took both men only a few minutes to find Tara; she hadn't moved from her latest kill, and was sitting upon his back. Blood pooled around his throat, pushing aside the dead leaves.

Reno took note of the woman, completely naked from waist up except for her bra, the lean muscle and covered in dirt and blood. He raised a brow, and couldn't resist, "Damn, doc. Was wondering what you had hiding under there! Marcus is a lucky guy!"

"Fuck you," She said on impulse, then flushed in embarrassment. Quickly she located her shirt and vest, and put them back on.

A little later, Rude had since washed off the dirt and mud and donned his own clothes again. His right arm still throbbed, but he ignored it. The trio then gathered all seven of the bodies and lined them up side by side on the ground.

"So what do we do with 'em?" Reno asked.

Tara thought for only a moment. "Search them. Guns, ammo, one of them has to have the truck keys. That's our ticket home, boys."

And that's exactly what they did. A pang of guilt briefly shot through the female, as it just seemed like the most wrong thing to do; that is, looting a corpse. But she knew that these men had likely done it before, and worse besides. And they certainly would not have hesitated to do it to her. Overall, they found several pistol magazines, each of the three took a machine gun and as many clips for those as they could all carry, and of course, a set of keys.

"Eureka," Tara proclaimed when she found them, "These have to go to the truck."

"Sweet mother of..." Reno breathed as he reached into the coat pocket of one dead militant. He removed a medium sized silver flask, and a pack of cigarettes with a lighter. All three were tightly wrapped together with a large rubber band.

"Could it be?" Reno continued, unscrewing the flask lid and knocking it back. Instantly, burning alcohol hit his tongue, slid down his throat, and settled nicely in his stomach. He felt nice and fuzzy afterward.

"It is! Hot damn! It really is our lucky day!" Reno whooped, promptly fishing out a cigarette and lighting it.

Rude accepted the flask and took a drought, and even Tara took a small sip. It tasted horrible as all else, but the burn did lift her spirits a bit. They decided to leave the corpses where they lay, and moved back in the direction they had originally come. Along the way, they found their previously discarded backpacks, and a quick check of them revealed nothing to be missing, far as they knew. It took only a few more minutes of walking until they found the truck, Tara promptly hopping in and sliding a key into the ignition. It was a perfect fit.

"Whatever gods you believe in boys, be thankful."

"Shotgun!" Reno yelled.

"Let's search the truck first; might be something else handy we can find." Tara suggested.

What they found were tightly bundled crates of still more ammunition and spare guns. But the better discovery were boxes of crusted bread, hard sausages, a half-eaten wheel of cheese, and several bottles of water and assorted alcohol.

"I was never much a religious guy but after today, I think I might just convert!" Reno said with a laugh, digging into a slice of the cheese wrapped around a sausage.

The three ate and drank their fill, (though only Reno continued to help himself to the alcohol, until Rude had to cut him off,) then they stretched their arms into the sky with renewed vigor.

"Right, boys. I've had enough of woods and rivers and eating wild game. Let's go home!" Tara said.

"Still got shotgun!" Reno cheered, hopping into the passenger seat.

Rude slid into the bed of the truck, pulling up the tail gate with a clunk. "Ready, doc."

Tara turned the key over, and the truck rumbled to life.

'Home...' Tara thought happily as she put the vehicle into drive, 'Such a sweet word...'

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Junon Fields] ` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>"Mr. Strife! At last we meet face to face!"<p>

Cloud was rooted where he stood, unable to move, or blink, or even breathe; the Fusion Sword suddenly felt like it weighed a ton. All around him, dark-clothed Brotherhood militants stormed past him, and past what remained of the WRO around him. Neither side seemed to care for the other; the Brotherhood simply wanted to retreat behind their leader (and many of them had since dropped their weapons) and the WRO were simply grateful they weren't about to be slaughtered. Neither did the militants seem to even give Cloud more than a passing glance, having witnessed many of their brethren cut down by that monstrous sword!

The militant leader wore a smug smile, "What's wrong, Mr. Strife? Cat bite off your tongue?"

That seemed to snap the blonde out of his stupor. All around him, soldiers of both armies were either dead or dying. The WRO still fit to walk quickly moved to retrieve their wounded companions, putting a bullet or knife into any surviving Brotherhood militant still clinging to life. Not far behind him, he could still hear the sounds of war, remembering another half of the Brotherhood army, now pinned between two armies of the WRO. He felt no pity for them. Right then he felt nothing.

"You were always so talkative and feisty on the phone, Mr. Strife!" The silver-haired man suddenly cackled, "Is it possible that you're actually _afraid_ of me now?"

Cloud took a few slow steps forward, booting a Brotherhood corpse in the face without seeming to care, "I just didn't think you were stupid,"

"Oh? How so, Mr. Strife?"

The blonde brought his weapon to bare, his arms prickled with goosebumps, "Cut the head off the snake, the body dies. And here you are!"

That seemed to amuse the leader, and he laughed long and hard, the four masked men on the flatbed trailer even joining in the laughter. Finally, he spoke, and made a gesture with a gloved hand, "By all means, Mr. Strife. If you think you're able to, then come! You four, hold your fire! Let's see if Mr. Strife's bite is worse than his bark!"

It was the only thing Cloud needed to hear. Energy surged through his body, and he thundered across the field, quickly closing the gap between him and the eighteen-wheeler. A few feet away, he jumped upward, propelling his body through the air, and turned a corkscrew mid-flight. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for ever since the first attacks began. Here was the psychopath that was responsible for all the bad things that had been happening around the continent. And now, with one swing of his sword, all of it would be ended. The silver hair was in sight now, the distance closing fast. He was only a few feet away, but he readied his weapon. Then he swung.

An unseen force stopped Cloud's weapon, seeming to actually catch it and hold it mid-air. Blue energy crackled and lanced down the shaft directly into his arm. The searing pain was intense, but he refused to let go of his weapon. Finally, the energy peaked, and a small explosion and sudden flash of light threw Cloud backwards to land on his back and skid a few feet. Once he halted, his head swam and both his arms felt like they were on fire. Despite that, he held a firm grip on the Fusion Sword, and slowly stood back up. Staring across the field, a transparent, light-blue colored sphere was now erected around the entirety of the eighteen-wheeler., with a smaller, darker shaded blue orb around the silver-haired man himself.

The leader cackled again, "You didn't honestly think I would come... unprepared, did you, Mr. Strife?"

Cloud growled loudly in frustration, and charged again. This time, he conjured his inner energy, and his blade began to glow the familiar pale yellow. Again he jumped, and again he swung, this time harder than before. Again the unseen force took him and held him there, yellow and blue energy crackled and snapped, sending out arcs of green electricity that singed the hair from his arm and left considerable marks. Still, he ignored the pain and pushed his weapon even harder, which resulted in a greater surge of electricity. Finally, the familiar flash of light and a violent force threw Cloud backward, this time with such force that he dropped his weapon. Landing with a sickening sound, he slid even further than he had last time, and laid there for a moment, stunned.

"The wolf is only a pup! A boy pretending to be a man!" The silver-haired man laughed.

"Easy for you to say hiding behind a force-field like a pussy!" A voice suddenly rang out.

Cid dropped from the sky, spear head leading the way. However, unlike Cloud's attempt, Cid's own was pushed aside more readily. The moment the spear made contact with the outer barrier, a blue lightening bolt lanced out and threw the blonde pilot aside.

"Enough of this shit! Let's ice this foo'!"

Barret appeared then, off to the side of the barrier. Across the way, Vincent stepped forward, Cerberus already raised. He immediately fired off shot after shot, while Barret unloaded everything he had at the barrier. Upon impact, the bullets traveled only a few inches before they dissipated and were reduced to nothing but small flashes of blue energy.

Next came Tifa, who vaulted off an over-turned vehicle and brought her right fist to bare. Her knuckles sparked with blue electricity, and she yelled a sound of rage she rarely ever had before. She saw an injured Cloud, dead WRO soldiers, even imaged a burning Edge if these people had won. Such is what drove her rage and her determination. She hardly got within a few feet of the outer barrier, before a blast of blue energy caught her mid-air, and threw her backwards head-over-heel. Before she struck the ground, a pair of strong arms caught her, and safely placed her aside.

"Damsel in distress act is getting old, Tifa," Cloud murmured with a small smile.

Tifa returned the smile, "Just doing what I can to keep you on your toes,"

By that time, Cid had recovered, though not without a singed shirt, the exposed flesh underneath sporting a nasty burn. He hobbled over to the other blonde and female, with Vincent and Barret joining them soon after.

"Fuckin' hell! There ain't no way past that!" The pilot swore.

"No way that we know of," Vincent commented.

"Yo! Let me try again!" Barret yelled, aimed his graft arm at the barrier.

The laughter of the silver-haired man silenced them all, "That's quite enough! I didn't come here to play mind games!" He paused, then laughed again, "Ha ha! Well, not **only** that at least!"

"Then what the fuck DO you want!" Cid yelled.

The leader grinned, "To issue a personal challenge to Mr. Strife, of course!"

Cloud stepped forward challengingly, "Come out from behind that barrier then, you coward."

Again the menacing laughter, "There are more than one ways to fight a battle, Mr. Strife! As I'm sure you well know!"

Barret spat at the barrier, "Yo, freak! How's about you come over here and talk shit to my face!"

"Your black friend has a big mouth, Mr. Strife. Let's make this interesting! I shall fight you all, but not in the way you imagine!"

After a moment's pause, Vincent moved closer to Cloud, "Something stirs, keep your guard up."

Cloud studied the enemy carefully, and saw swirling tendrils of energy radiate from his right sleeve. These tendrils wafted out only a foot or so, before violently snapping back and gathering into a sphere of energy. By this time, Edward had appeared at the side of his master within the barrier and, Cloud noted, Reij as well. He turned to Tifa for answers, but received none; instead, the female stared daggers across the field at her worst enemy.

"Behold, enemies of the Planet! The powers of the Lifestream!" The rebel leader's voice seemed to be amplified by some unknown power, so that it spilled over the entire battlefield, "The powers which JENOVA herself gifted to those like me, to rid the world of usurpers like you!"

Then the energy sphere was rocketed high into the sky, casting aside the clouds that hung low overhead. Not a moment later, a thin beam of blue energy shot straight down and struck the earth between Cloud and the eighteen-wheeler. Glyphs lit up the dirt, which suddenly split evenly in two within the circle of runes. Chunks of rock and dirt slowly rose and hovered a foot off the ground around the hole, then blasted away in all directions. Cloud and the others heard a terrible sound, a roar like nothing they had heard before, faint at first. More chunks of rock shot up from the hole to fly this way or that, and a second roar, now deafening, sent chills down the spines of all who heard it. A large shadowed monster rose from the ground, and even Cloud took a single step back in fear. Then a blinding flash of light erupted.

Yarzagorth roared a third time, clacking its two pincers together mightily. Beneath the dominant arms, the humanoid arms flexed with bulging muscle. It's canine maw parted, revealing two sets of razor teeth, green ooze dripping from its jowls. Beneath twisted ram horns, yellow eyes flared with a violent rage. Quickly the monster surveyed the assembled army before it, and sent out a massive mental probe so that all could hear it's thoughts.

"_Tremble mortals, and despair! The rage of a hundred thousand years has come to this world!_"

As the thoughts were sent out to the assembled humans, the monster spoke in its own gutteral language, which slightly quaked the ground.

"Holy dumb fuck!" Cid exclaimed.

Cloud quickly moved to retrieve his weapon, and held it at the ready. Tifa hesitated behind Cloud, then refused to show fear and defiantly stepped forward.

The leader laughed, "Behold, the Gorefriend Yarzagorth!"

"Ya blew up my tank, but ya ain't gonna blow up this ugly fuck!" Reij yelled across the field.

"Fat chance in hell!" Cid retorted, then removed a walkie talkie from his belt, "Yo, numbskulls! See that big ugly werewolf monkey lobster thing? Nuke that son of a bitch!"

"Aye aye, captain!" Came the crackled response.

_Shera_ banked to its right, so that it came up to the left of the enemy leader and the monster. A small object detached from the underside, and fell at a slow rate towards the Gorefiend.

"Take cover, ya morons!" Cid screamed to his companions. A moment later, all of them had ducked behind a nearby truck.

Yarzagorth turned toward the incoming missile and roared a defiant sound, mere moment before the missile struck it in the chest. A plume of fire rocketed into the air, the explosion sending debris in all directions. The smoke cleared, and Cloud and the others slowly moved from cover. The Gorefiend stood there still, his black and matted fur singed and still partly on fire here and there. The explosion had made a sizable crater, perhaps three feet deep, but the monster stood there all the same, and even seemed to grin.

"_If that is the best you puny humans can conjure, then I suggest you flee!_" Yarzagorth's voice rumbled.

"How the hell we gonna beat this thing?" Barret said.

Cloud forced down any fear he may have had, and scoffed, casually hoisting his blade over his shoulder. He took three steps forward, stared at the monster for a minute, then turned and nodded to his friends. "We do it the old fashioned way!" He proclaimed.

Both Cid and Tifa jumped forward right then.

"Ya damn fuckin' skippy!"

"I've always got your back, babe!"

Barret joined the three of them, turret guns already at the ready, "We beat worse'n this ugly mug! Let's do this!"

Vincent came next, sliding another cartridge into Cerberus, "For the Planet," He muttered.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" The silver-haired man began to laugh, "So eagerly do the cattle rush to the slaughterhouse!" He raised his right arm, which began to pulsate with blue and red energy, "So be it! Step forward and join the Lifestream!"

Yarzagorth, sensing the impending carnage, rumbled a content sound, raising its dominant arms, and clicking the pincers together, "_Come, mortals. I will devour your souls!_"

As one, the five friends charged forward.

Cloud lead the charge, slinging Fusion Sword over his right shoulder. The monster swung one of its great clawed arms in a side-swiping motion, which the blonde merely jumped upward to avoid. This in turn left the monster's chest momentarily exposed, and a silver spear shot through the air like a missile to embed in the creature's chest. Yarzagorth roared in rage, sweeping its other arm to try and catch Tifa, but she jumped straight up, landed on the forearm, then ran up the length of the arm until she reached it's head. Here, she drove her fists over and over into the top and sides of the monster's head, each strike followed by a brief flash of blue light and crackle of electricity.

The Gorefiend swung it's great head left and right to try and shake off the female, when three rapid shots rang out. The bullets truck it in the mouth and nose, shattering several teeth and breaking the skin around its snout. Tifa drove a final fist directly into the enemy's left eye, then backflipped away to safety. Barret used that cue to open up his turrets and fired on the easy target. Despite the barrage of shrapnel, Yarzagorth turned towards him, then thundered across the field. Each step shook the ground, but Barret didn't relent. At the last possible minute, Cloud tackled Barret from his left flank, mere seconds before the summon would have trampled him.

Cloud hoisted the other man back to his feet, "What's the count again?"

"Man, shut yer damn mouth, Spikey! I would'a moved!"

"But you didn't," Cloud pointed out.

Tifa now charged the beast head on, again ducking underneath the massive pincered arms, and booting the creature in the fork of the legs. If such an attack effected the fiend, it showed no effect. Quickly she thrust her fists upward, connecting four quick jabs that further singed the monster's fur. However, Tifa momentarily forgot the sub-pair of humanoid arms, which quickly reached out and grabbed her in an iron grip by the shoulders. Sharp talons dug deep into her flesh, and she panicked. Another lobster claw swung around to take her head off, when Cloud suddenly appeared, swinging his blade down. The weapon caught the claw and temporarily pinned it to the ground. Cid used this distraction to dash forward, rip his spear free from the beast's chest, only to jab it back in. The monster released it's hold on Tifa, who was promptly scooped up by Vincent and placed only a few feet away.

"Don't be reckless," He said to her.

Tifa panted a few times to catch her breathe, then shook off the pain, "Still gotta have that talk, right?"

Vincent only nodded, then turned back to the task at hand.

Cloud removed his weapon from the monstrous arm, and twisted away as the second one came swinging around. The pincers landed, open, and sunk into the dirt. The blonde noticed a single eyeball upon the lobster claws, and quickly swung his weapon again, aiming for the eye. On impact, the monster jerked backwards and roared a sound of agony, and seemed to spasm for a bit. Not wasting time, he darted forward. At that exact moment, Cid appeared from behind the beast, running forward and jamming his spear into the back of the beast's kneecap. This in turn caused the Gorefiend to fall down to one knee. Cloud, seeing his opportunity, raised Fusion Sword and held it out like one of Cid's spears. The weapon found it's mark, burying deep into the monster's chest. The very force of the impact sent the creature stumbling backward to land with a thunderous crash. Cid barely managed to move away from being crushed.

"Yo, is it over?" Barret called.

Not waiting for an answer, Tifa soared through the air and landed on the fallen fiend's chest, managing to rip the Fusion Sword free only to drive it back, and deeper, into the summoned monster. She then swiveled around it, and began to punch and kick at it's head. Each blow knocked another fang from the canine maw, but it soon realized what was going on. The fiend suddenly shot up, sending Tifa violently to the ground.

"_You humans are so petty... and tiny!_" Yarzagorth's voice rumbled in their minds, "_How the likes of you inherited this Planet is an insult to life itself!"_

The five companions gathered around each other, Fusion Sword still stuck in the monster's chest.

"Don't stop now, Mr. Strife!" The rebel leader called, "It's only now starting to get interesting!"

Vincent again leaned close to Cloud and muttered, "His strength wanes. He can't control Yarzagorth and keep his barrier up. The battle is close to an end."

"Doesn't make this any less dangerous," Cloud commented.

In answer, Yarzagorth, using its humanoid arms, ripped Cloud's weapon free of it's chest, and held it out challengingly. "_Humans, clinging foolishly to hope where none exists. Come then, and meet your doom!_"

A fireball suddenly struck the monster dead in the face, the impact of which again sent Yarzagorth stumbling backwards. Barret stood there, main cannon smoky from the previous shot. He grinned, "Too much talkin'!" He laughed.

Cloud used the distraction to run forward, catching the Fusion Sword before it hit the ground. He continued to run after reclaiming the weapon, which he now raised over his head and gripped the hilt with both hands. Up he flew, coming down directly in front of the monster, and bringing the blade down with him. The weapon cleaved one of the spiraled ram horns, then dug deep into the right shoulder, nearly severing the dominant arm. In answer, Yarzagorth swatted the blonde aside with the other arm.

"_The humans are more mighty than most,_" The creature spoke telepathically, "_Very well, the time for games is over. Fear the might of the ancient world!_"

It's entire body then began to glow a deep blue color, the energy outlining it's massive girth. Cid lunged, aiming his spear at the chest area where a heart normally would be. However, the Gorefiend moved too quickly, and the humanoid arms caught the weapon, then yanked it from the man's grasp. Before Cid could register that action, the humanoid arms spun the spear and cracked Cid on the side of the head with the butt-end. Cid fell backward, seeing stars, then found his senses and looked up at the beast. Vincent rushed by him, scooping him up and throwing him out of the way. A moment later, Cid's spear stuck in the dirt where he had been, quivering from the violent force of which it was thrown.

"Bastard!" Cid screamed, "Hey, thanks Vincent! I owe ya one! Vincent?"

The gunman was gone as quick as he had come, charging the summon with firing shot after shot. Each bullet struck the beast in the face, and stunned it for just a moment. When he came within the fiend's reach, he shimmered first to the left to avoid a swipe from a clawed arm, then shimmered to the right to avoid the follow up. He then ran forward, blasting the monster in the face six more times before vanishing between its legs, only to leap up onto it's shoulders. Gold talons flashed, and Vincent dug them deep into the already injured left eye. What followed was a horrible sound, like that of a scream and a shriek at the same time; everyone who had heard it were raked with goosebumps. The beast again swung it's head this way and that to try and shake off the attacker, and even attempted to grab at Vincent with it's mighty pincers.

Barret came charging from the rear, graft-arm shifting and shaping into the shape of a giant steel mallet. "Try this on for size, foo'!" He yelled. He swung his right arm in an over the head motion as he ran to build its momentum. When he was close enough, Barret swung the hammer graft down, shattering the beast's right foot, but he didn't stop there. He flung himself upward, hammer leading the way, and smashed the monster in the chin. Once he landed, however, Barret was booted away with a left foot, but not before smashing the previously struck right foot.

Tifa roared through the air over Barret as he fell backward, springing off his passing form to add to her own momentum. She laid her body flat, legs straight out behind her, arms in front and wrists tight together. The impact sent a massive blast of blue electricity and forced the Gorefiend back a few steps. She followed close behind, soaring straight upward, with a blast of water following at her heels. The upper cut the monster square in the jaw, and the subsequent water blast forced it still further backward. It regained it's composure however, and Tifa started to lunge again, when the black scaly flesh around the chest suddenly parted, to reveal a massive eyeball, the irises tinted red with specks of gold throughout.

"What in the..." Tifa started.

The eyeball suddenly unleashed a massive beam of electricity, and Tifa barely moved out of the way in time. The blast flew several feet, and the ground it struck was sunk in a few inches, and completely scorched and devoid of anything but black soot.

At this point, many of the WRO army had given the monster (and the five heroes) as wide a berth as possible, while still attempting to deal with the remaining Brotherhood who continued to fight.

On the back of the truck, the silver-haired man continued to cackle, though sweat had begun to bead around his face and down the side of his neck. The power was astonishing, and so taxing! But he was simply having too much fun. Just behind him, Reij took notice of the exhaustion from his leader, and hid a wide smirk behind a palm.

Cloud appeared at Barret's side, and was quickly joined by the others. "I think it's time we quit playing games ourselves," The blonde said to the others.

"Who the hell's playin' games, spike-trap?" Cid roared, "I'm giving it all I got!"

"No you're not," Cloud said to the other blonde.

Before Cid could respond, Yarzagorth turned towards them and unleashed another blast of energy from it's chest. The group scattered in different directions, but Cloud remained at Barret's side.

"Throwing arm still good?" Cloud asked.

"What, again?" Barret grumbled, "Hell I look like?"

Cloud smirked, detaching a medium sized blade from the main Fusion Sword, the latter he slung over his back and fastened it down. "A guy with a mean curve ball."

The other man muttered something, but all Cloud heard was, "Better not ever ask me to do this again." After the hammer-graft reformed into a normal 'hand,' Barret yanked Cloud by the shirt and pants and, like earlier that day, twirled around five times. And on the sixth turn, launched the blonde through the air toward the beast.

Seeing the approaching foe, the Gorefiend attempted another energy blast, but Cid dropped from the sky and buried his spear deep into the thing; Cloud wasn't sure where exactly. It was the exact distraction he was hoping for. He held the medium blade straight out as his body angled around in a slight curve, but he had his mark. And then he found it, the blade sinking deep, right into the pupil of the eyeball on the beast's chest, the very tip jutting out of it's back. The resulting shriek was blood curdling, and the beast thrashed around wildly, leaving deep ruts in the dirt and mud.

"_You humans are naught but ants to one such as I!_" It's voice roared in everyone's mind, "_You will pay for your defiance! I will crush your bones like twigs!_"

Once it stopped thrashing, it turned to Cloud, standing nearby. The blonde had removed his main weapon. It took a single, thundering step.

Vincent appeared on the monster's shoulder, and, much unlike his usual character, yelled loud enough for the others to hear him, "Not today!"

Then blasted the monster four times with Cerberus, two for each eye. Yarzagorth was now completely blind. Again it screamed, and resumed it's wild thrashing. Great pincered arms lashed out and clack-clacked loudly, hoping to catch a victim; the humanoid arms likewise reached out, talons swiping in hopes of finding a target.

"**NOW!**" A voice called out.

Tifa appeared then, running up behind the beast and launching herself into the air. Again she locked her wrists together, and punched with all her might at the back of the Gorefiend's head. Electricity snapped and crackled, and the monster was forced to stumble forward. Cid likewise had launched himself through the air from the opposite direction, and buried his spear deep into the monster's injured right shoulder. Before he released his weapon, he reached over and jammed a lit dynamite stick into the beast's waiting maw, then dove away. When the dynamite detonated, the remaining fangs erupted and splintered from the canine snout, and Yarzagorth now stumbled _backwards_.

The monster never had a chance and couldn't mount a proper offense due to the constant barrage. It stumbled backwards, when Barret stood atop an overturned truck. The cannon graft shot out from among the turrets, and quickly tendrils of green energy appeared and gathered at the head of the muzzle. Then before the enemy's momentum halted, a great ball of green fire launched forward, striking the back of the monster's neck and, yet again, forced it _forward_.

Cloud was there then, his body glowing the familiar pale yellow. He jumped upward, meeting the momentum of the enemy, and swinging Fusion Sword over his head, aiming for the injured right arm. Taking careful aim, he swung, and the blade sliced cleanly through flesh and bone, the great pincered arm falling free and landing in the dirt. But he didn't stop there, turned around, and slid between the thrashing legs. Yarzagorth could smell him then, and in a last attempt, swung it's remaining left pincer downward to cut him in two. Cloud was the quicker, however, and reached up to rip his spare blade free of the now dried and shriveled eyeball on the beast's chest. He twisted left, ducked down low, all the while watching the enemy's movements carefully. Just as he hoped, when Yarzagorth swung it's left arm, the upper body bent down low as well. Seeing his chance, Cloud yelled, and thrust the weapon straight up.

The blade struck true, into the open maw, and upward into the brain and out the back of the head.

The Gorefiend stood there a moment, stunned from the sudden shock, then threw itself backward and began to convulse and thrash more wildly than before. Not far off, the severed arm likewise twitched moved, as if it had a life of it's own. The sword was still embedded in it's skull, and it's entire image began to flicker, quickly becoming transparent then returning.

The silver-haired man meanwhile, seemed to feel the effects of the attacks, and fell down to one knee. Edward quickly stepped forward and severed the four chains holding the man in place.

"Sir! Are you okay?" The scarred general asked.

The leader shoved the man away, "Get off of me, fool!" He panted.

Yarzagorth continued to shudder and stumble this way and that, before it finally fell down to one knee. Despite the fiery light having faded from its eyes, the empty sockets turned and looked directly at Cloud.

"_Never... over... Next time... your soul... mine..._"

Then with a final shudder, the fiend burst into a small explosion of flickering orbs of light, all of which fluttered in the air for a moment before rocketing back towards the silver-haired man, gathering as a single orb on his wrist before vanishing from sight. Cloud's blade and Cid's spear hit the ground with a clatter of steel.

Now the leader's other knee buckled and he hit it violently. Gritting his teeth, he managed to croak out, "Get us the hell out of here! Now!" He grunted, struggling to stand, "Retreat, you idiots! Back to the fort!"

A second later, the diesel truck roared to life and pulled away from the battle sight, angling away towards the south, the driver quickly moving through the gears. The remaining Brotherhood soldiers likewise turned and fled, many of them calling after their leader to "wait for us!" and "don't leave us like this, boss!"

The line of WRO soldiers watched this and began to cheer and shout. The other group of rebels had since thrown down their weapons and promptly surrendered.

Barret and Cid had joined in their celebration, slapping each other on the back, (though Barret in his excitement had used his graft hand) and Cid promptly began to cuss the other man for everything he was worth. Barret could only laugh, despite the string of curses.

Tifa stepped to Cloud's side, the male having been frozen in place and watching the leader and his surviving cronies retreat. She watched too for a moment, then, after removing her gloves, placed a bare hand on his shoulder. "We won, Cloud."

He turned to look at her and nodded, "Yeah... for now," He whispered.

"Hey," She replied, a hint of worry in her voice, "What's wrong?"

"_Never over,_" Cloud heard the fiend's voice in his mind.

"_Never over,_" This time, the voice of Sephiroth rang clear.

"Cloud?"

He shook his head and slung his weapon onto the strap on his back. Then his adrenaline died, and his strength left him, falling down onto his knees.

"Cloud!" Tifa knelt beside him in an instant, "Are you okay?"

Cloud's sight then flickered, and across the field, standing upon the still smoking remains of the Geo-Leviathan, stood the Sephiroth apparition. The black angel wing slowly unfurled and stretched outward and upward into the sky.

"_Soon, Cloud,_" The voice said, "_Your rage has only fueled my power. It's never over; it is only just beginning._" Then quickly vanished in a puff of black mist.

"Cloud! Talk to me!"

"Yo! What's going on with Spikey?" Barret said as he came over.

"Never... over..." He whispered under his breath. Then his sight flushed, and he fell forward, darkness taking his vision before he hit the ground.

* * *

><p><em>Do your demons – do they ever let you go? When you've tried – do they hide – deep inside, is it someone that you know? We're just a picture – we're an image caught in time. We're a lie – you and I, we're words without a rhyme.<em>

_No sign of the morning coming, you've been left on your own, like a rainbow in the dark. When there's lightning, you know it always brings me down. Cause it's free and I see that it's me who's lost and never found._

_Feel the magic, see it floating in the air. But it's fear – and you'll hear – it's calling you, beware. Look out! There's no sign of the morning coming, there's no sight of the day. You've been left on your own, like a rainbow in the dark._


	25. Aftermath

**-Chapter 25-**

**Aftermath**

* * *

><p><em>I must have dreamed a thousand dreams, been haunted by a million screams. But I can hear the marching feet; they're moving into the street. Now did you read the news today? They say the danger's gone away<em>

_But I can still see the fire's alight, they're burning into the night. There's too many men, too many people making too many problems. And not much love to go around, can't you see this is the Land of Confusion?_

_This is the world we live in, and these are the hands we're given. Use them and let's start trying to make it a place worth living in_

* * *

><p>The next conscious thought he had was the screams.<p>

A seemingly never ending chorus of screams from the throats of dying men and women. He still knew only darkness, as his eyelids felt like they weighed several pounds. Physically he felt completely disabled, and even moving his arms seemed impossible. But he fought through the pain and managed to clap both palms over his ears, to try and drown out the screaming. That did little to silence the voices, and he grit his teeth in frustration. Only once he felt a hand touch his shoulder did he seem to snap out of his stupor and, on instinct, grabbing the hand and forcefully shoved it away. His other hand swung about to strike his would-be attacker, but hit nothing but air.

Only then did Cloud's eyes slowly open, and his blurred vision slowly begin to clear. He was propped against the tire of a truck, sitting on his rump with his legs stretched out in front of him. His vision faded in and out, but all he could make out was... death. Dead soldiers, some clothed in black, some in white, but all of them riddled with bullet holes and stained in their blood, or others. He didn't care for the distinction.

"Cloud?" He heard a sweet voice ring in his head. It was a welcome one; something quite different from the screams of a dying human.

"Cloud!" The voice again. Right then his head felt like it was a single puff of smoke, and he swayed slowly left and right.

Then a palm struck him hard across the face.

Cloud shot to his feet instantly, reaching for his weapon over his right shoulder, but found nothing was there. He whirled around, looking for the next enemy to attack. Then Tifa came into sight, and instantly everything else seemed irrelevant.

"Tifa?" He breathed. "Where... where are we?"

The woman forced a smile, "Outside of Junon, don't you remember?"

Cloud shook his head, grasping his temple with a hand. "I do, just... I don't know what happened to me."

She took a step closer to him, and very slowly and gently wrapped her arms around his neck, "I found your letter, you know. 'I promised I would never lie to you again' I think is what it said?"

He welcomed her touch, and slowly but surely his heart slowed to a steady thump. He nodded again, forcing a smile of his own, "That's exactly what it said,"

"And are you lying to me now, Cloud?" Now she drew back a bit.

"I just... hmm." He rubbed the side of his head, which was caked with dried blood, "I guess the exhaustion just caught up with me."

Before she could press him even further, Cid stepped into view from behind a nearby vehicle, "Hey, spike-trap! You okay? What the hell happened to ya?"

"I'm fine, Cid," Was all Cloud responded to the barrage of questions, "What's the situation?"

"Just look around!" Came the reply, before he turned and vanished again.

Chaos was not a strong enough word to describe what was going on all around them. Several helicopters had landed throughout the field, and the severely wounded were being hauled into them. As the sun began to sink slowly, the area became illuminated with red, blue, and white emergency lights from the various police and medical vehicles that had only arrived not long ago. Not so far away, a long line of heavily armored eighteen-wheelers rounded a corner to join another stationary line of similar vehicles. These were used to store the remaining Brotherhood prisoners and take them back to Edge for sentencing.

"How long was I out?" Cloud asked Tifa.

"Couple hours, I think?" She replied, "You really scared us, you know. Tseng wanted to load you into a truck and send you back to Edge, but I wouldn't let him."

"But why?"

Now her smile was genuine, "Because I wasn't going to leave your side, and I have to help out here, of course.

"Wait, you said Tseng," Cloud mused, "Is he here?"

"I heard my name, I think," The lead Turk spoke as he pushed between two WRO soldiers. His suit was tattered and riddled with burn holes. His hair had fallen out of it's usual ponytail, and now hung wildly all around his shoulders.

"Tseng, what happened here?" Cloud asked, stepping towards the Turk.

Tseng huffed, "They attacked, we retaliated, we won."

"But what..."

Tseng cut him off, "I report to Reeve and Rufus, not to you. Don't worry; there will be another meeting called soon. Which reminds me, my ride's here," This he said as a large helicopter bearing the WRO as well the ShinRa logo landed a few feet away, "I'll let you know," Then turned and boarded the craft, and it ascended into the sky.

Cloud and Tifa both watched the craft depart until it was well out of sight. Out by the shore, the ships _Odin _and _Garland _had dropped anchor closer to shore, and additional medical personnel from both ships began to work their way to shore via smaller boats, bringing medical supplies and other such things.

"So this is what it's like to be in a real war," Tifa whispered, "I never imagined it would be so... so..."

"Bloody?" Cloud said, "Brutal?"

"Hectic," Tifa responded, not entirely pleased with the male's choice of words, "Cloud, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm really fine, Tifa,"

"You know, you always were a terrible liar," She half-teased, half-scolded.

"I just... just, wish I were anywhere but here right now,"

Now Tifa went on alert and grabbed his arm, thinking he was going to slip off again, just like the last battle, "Don't leave me Cloud, please. Not here. Not after everything that..."

Her voice began to break, as though she would suddenly cry. He silenced her with a sudden peck on the lips, and a soft touch, "Don't worry, I'm staying right here."

"You promise?" She looked up at him, hopeful.

He held out a pinky, "Pinky swear."

That made her giggle, "Come on, let's try and help however we can."

The sheer amount of wounded soldiers was baffling alone, yet the amount of dead was nearly triple that number. And while the fallen WRO were carefully and gently laid out in neat columns, the dead Brotherhood were not shown such gentleness. Cloud noted that many of the WRO yanked up a corpse here, dragged another by the legs through the mud there. All of them were violently thrown, like a sack of potatoes, onto the backs of dump-trucks or flat-bed military trucks. Cloud didn't want to think of what they planned to do with the enemy corpses. Scattered around the battlefield, many higher ranking officers set about to collect the military dog tags from each of the fallen, their names and ID numbers being kept in a logbook. They would be sent back to Edge, their loved ones notified, and then given a hero's funeral for their sacrifice.

The _Shera_ slowly rumbled just overhead, then slowly lowered until it landed with a loud thump and a hiss on the ground. On both sides, two hatch-doors slid open, and underneath them a ramp extended, angled slightly downward, then thudded against solid ground. Cid's airship team hurried out then with still more supplies and to gather the injured. Cid himself wasn't far off, directing all those nearby that could walk toward the airship. He passed by one fallen soldier, who's left leg was twisted into an awkward angle.

"Come on, son!" Cid said, leaning down and hoisting the man up bridal style, "Ya ain't gonna die in a shithole like this! It's time to go home!"

"The famous... Captain Highwind..." the soldier muttered, "Always wanted to... join your crew."

Cid smirked, "Hah! Well first we gotta get ya better, then we can talk!"

He passed the fallen soldier on to Barret, who came walking down one of the _Shera's_ ramps, and instructed Barret to put that one in the cockpit. Cid knew the kid would enjoy that, and might even keep him alive.

Several hours passed, and the sun had long since set. Several air crews from Edge had arrived to set up emergency spotlights in order to finish the task. _Odin _and _Garland_ likewise lent their own massive lights to the scene, and half a dozen helicopters patrolled the outer perimeter of the fight, using their own lights to discover any stragglers. It was an exhausting task to be sure, but everyone fought through it. Meanwhile, much of Junon had been destroyed, and several fires still raged on with other firefighting crews trying to contain the flames.

But throughout it all, the large dual symbol of the World Regenesis Order and the ShinRa Company upon a gargantuan and tattered flag, still proudly, even defiantly, swayed in the wind over the burning city.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Brotherhood Compound; west of Fort Condor] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>"Hold it! Who the fuck are you?" A guardsman called from the top of a locked gate, aiming a rifle at the newcomers.<p>

Tormuj stood up from the back of the truck and shot the man a deadly look, and yelled in response, "Who do you think, you stupid lamb? This one is lieutenant Tormuj of His Grace's Brotherhood! Open the gates!"

The man nearly fell over himself to issue the orders, "Shit, sorry sir! We didn't expect you this early!"

"Yes, well, this one advises you to learn your place next time!" The shaman called up as the gates clanged, clunked, then slowly parted.

Yuffie had since thrown the hood back over her head, and had kept her gaze down the entire time.

The nine trucks rumbled to life and continued on through the open gates. Only here did Yuffie let herself look up and carefully observe her surroundings. The walls were high, perhaps twenty feet tall and made of what looked like steel. However, she knew immediately that this was an old compound, because there were cracks and dents in the metal, and even in a few places the wall had been blown away entirely. These open points were the most heavily guarded, with several men on either side of the remaining wall, and thick columns of guards on the ground. From the outside, the entire placed looked like an ancient relic of the past. Here and there, spires of stone or metal rose from the ground, and what remained of a circular watch-tower peek was now decayed, heavily damaged, or not there at all.

'How could they defend such a broken down old fort?' Yuffie mused to herself.

The force of the rebels more than made up for the obvious structural weaknesses, however. Yuffie could not turn her eyes anywhere except straight up into the sky without seeing several dozen armed militants. There was also a parked hummer here, a turret-gun-bearing truck there. She then thought back to so many months (or was it closer to a year?) ago, when Rufus and Reeve tasked her with a reconnaissance mission; where she nearly froze to death on top of that wooded hill. Those ten trucks that had headed towards Edge, then turned out to be nothing more than a distraction for the main rebel army to assault Fort Condor. Many of those trucks then were just like the ones she saw all around her now; she even pondered if any of these or the men were among those she saw all that time ago.

"Welcome to your new home, my lady!" Tormuj suddenly yelled, startling the young woman.

"Where the hell is this place?"

The shaman smirked, "You can just call it Sector Zero, and that's all you need to know."

The convoy rolled only a few more feet, the line angling around in a crescent shaped line, with the truck Yuffie was on pulled parallel to an entryway. Tormuj stood up and, not gently, pulled Yuffie to her feet and directed her to the back of the truck. Three armed men rushed out from the doorway to the truck, and two of them promptly gripped the girl by her arms.

Tormuj hopped off the truck, then waved an arm to his left toward the entrance, "This way, girl," He said in the accent.

The four of them ascended a small flight of stairs and were greeted by a fifth man. He was larger than any human Yuffie had ever seen, perhaps close to seven feet tall. He appeared overweight, with his stomach close to spilling out over his belt, but he was barrel-chested, and his crossed arms bulged with thick muscle. He appeared to be the same origin as Tormuj, with bronze skin and the same bright green eyes. He was completely bald, but his beard was grown down to the base of his throat, and (like Tormuj's hair) was braided with multiple colored beads. And just like Tormuj, he wore similar padded leather armor, adorned with various animal skins.

"You are late," The stranger said. His accent was somewhat similar to Tormuj's fake one, but his voice was deeper, more gruff.

"Hah! My lady this is Mailiki, a good friend of this one from childhood." Tormuj said, "He watches the compound while this one is away."

"Is it all ready, then?" Tormuj asked the burly man, turning back to him.

The one called Mailiki nodded, "Awaiting your return."

"Very good!" Tormuj then turned to the other three men, "You're all dismissed. I'm sure my large friend here and I can handle a little girl. Go on, then!"

As the three men saluted and then dispersed, Yuffie felt anger clench at her stomach. _Little girl?_ Oh, how she wished she had her trusted shuriken right then! The big man then moved behind her, and shoved her forward as Tormuj started for the door.

"Gentle, Mailiki," The smaller foreigner chastised, "Yuffie is a guest, and this one is of higher rank than you! She will be treated as any proper guest would!"

The girl wondered exactly what that implied.

As the trio stepped through the door, a rank, powerful smell hit Yuffie's nose and she nearly gagged. The place wasn't exactly filthy, and there was no obvious source of the foul smell. They walked on down a long corridor, the dust-riddled steel floor clanking with every step. Every few steps there was a door to the left and right, with a thick wooden beam pulled across the outside of them. Then Yuffie noticed something, from each of the doors there was a small open slot at the very top, and from these came two or three lines of some dark red... thing. Only after the tenth set of doors did she realizes these things were IV lines, and the dark red color could only be blood! Looking up, the lines were tied to the ceiling, and it looked like so many red tentacles stretching over their heads. They came to a four way split in the hallway, and the IV lines split, and wound down the left side corridor. Despite her fear of the purpose of all this blood (or more importantly where exactly it was coming from, OR where it was going!) she still had a morbid curiosity to it. They turned right, and continued on.

"Fort Condor looks like paradise compared to this place!" Yuffie said after only a few steps.

Tormuj chuckled, "It has a charm of its own. You'll get used to it, girl!"

The further they went, the place did seem to become less morbid, and even the stench wasn't as strong as it was before. The hallway widened suddenly, and on the left and right the walls had turned into windows to reveal large workshops on either side. Yuffie first looked to the right. Several men were busy working on some strange, behemoth machine that had a cylinder shaped body. At different points all around the body, seven steel legs stretched upward at an angle, then at the jointx went vertical to the ground, ending in pointed steel. It looked like a giant spider to her. She then looked to the left. Another team of men were working on something very different, as it seemed to be humanoid in shape. It was tall, exactly how tall she was not sure, but she guessed at least fifteen feet. Before she could gather further visual information, Mailiki again shoved her forward, and ordered her to keep her eyes to the ground.

Next they came to a staircase, and up they went. Yuffie still attempted to sneak a glance here and there, not just to feel out the place, but for any likely routes of escape. She had yet to spot anything, and there was never not at least a pair of armed men every few feet, and there were at least four at every crossing. They reached the top of the stairs, turned right, then ascended yet another small flight. Now Yuffie could smell nothing but rusted iron (if it even had a smell), burned gunpowder, and diesel fuel.

"Ah, here we are! Your living quarters!" Tormuj quipped, as the three stopped in front of a large steel door.

Yuffie mentally braced herself as her captor threw back the iron security beam and pulled the door open.

Then her breathe temporarily left her.

While the floor was dusty and the walls were riddled with rust, there in the center of the space sat a single small bed. Tucked away in the corner, a small two-shelf bookcase, stuffed with volumes of different books and even a few more piled on top. The bed was unkempt, but clean as far as she could tell. Atop the bookshelf was also a small lamp that filled the room with a gentle glow. Yuffie turned to face the two dark-skinned men.

"What's the big idea? I seriously hope you're not expecting any sexual favors or some crap for this 'luxurious' room!"

The two exchanged a look, then Tormuj burst into laughter, while Mailiki again crossed his arms and stared hard at the girl.

"What's so funny! This makes even less sense than..."

"Enough, Yuffie," Tormuj finally said, having dropped the false accent. This struck her as out of character, because nearby stood two more armed guards.

"If I had wanted that from you," Tormuj continued, "as you said on the truck I could have taken it, or killed you, half a hundred times. And my friend here certainly isn't interested in anything like that!"

Yuffie considered this, wondering if she was being insulted, "Why, because I have the wrong body parts or something?" At that, Mailiki narrowed his eyes, and even growled softly.

"It's more a question of lacking," Tormuj said, and when Yuffie looked dumbfounded, he sighed, "My friend here is a eunuch. Surely you know what that means?"

Yuffie nearly fell over, "Sh...! I'm sorry, I..." She paused, wondering why the hell she was apologizing to her jailors!

"It was my choice," Mailiki grunted, "Now get in there, girl," And menacingly stomped towards her.

Yuffie slowly backed into the cell, and the burly man abruptly slammed the steel door shut with a loud clang. She then heard the security bar slide into place, thereby trapping her inside. Before she could turn away, a small portion of the door slid aside at her eye level, and all she could see was Tormuj's eyes. She moved closer.

"Don't mind Mailiki," He said, "Lot going on you understand. He grows on you, trust me!"

"So what happens now?" She asked.

"Soon enough I'll be leaving. Some things are about to change, Yuffie, and who knows whether it will be for better or worse? For now, you're staying right here."

Panic rose in the girl now, and she threw herself against the door, pressing her face against the open visor, "You can't leave me here! You said it yourself that you were the only ones keeping bad things from happening to me!"

She heard him laugh, "Just the other day you were ready to slit open my stomach and now you're wanting me to stay?" He stopped only to laugh again, "Mailiki will take good care of you."

"But...!"

"You're just going to have to trust the lesser of two evils, Yuffie," Was the final thing he said before he slid the visor closed with a clink.

She pressed her back to the door and slowly slid down to sit upon the floor, listening until she could no longer hear the two sets of retreating footfalls. As if this great mystery wasn't any more confusing, now she felt as though her head might explode! The lesser of two evils? Could he have been referring to himself, or that freakish big man Mailiki? Her eyes trailed to the nearby bookshelf, and crawled hands and knees over toward it, flopping down within arm's reach. 'Might as well make the most of it, I guess...' She thought.

An hour later, a slot close to the ground was suddenly pulled upwards, and a tray of food was slid upon the floor into her cell. On it was a bowl of diced yellow and orange vegetables, a hunk of fried meat, and what appeared to be a crusted yellow biscuit. All of it was obviously fresh, as steam slowly wafted off the food.

"Enjoy," She heard Mailiki's gruff voice say, before the visor was slid closed again.

Yuffie stared at the food for a few seconds, trying to decide if she was hungry or not. She then threw the book she was reading aside, and pulled the tray closer to her.

Might as well make the most of it.

* * *

><p>Not long after, Tormuj wandered the halls of the compound, inquiring about this and inspecting that with his fellow Brotherhood soldiers. He descended a flight of stairs, and from around the corner a militant came running up. He was out of breath, and sweating.<p>

"Lieutenant Tormuj!" The man wheezed, "I've looked everywhere for you!"

"Calm down, son!" The foreigner chuckled, "Take a breath."

The man did as such, and once he stopped wheezing, reached into his jacket pocket and produced a sealed envelope, "Message from Fort Condor! Looks like the attack didn't go as planned!"

Tormuj accepted the letter, and placed a few gil from his pouch into the other man's hand, "Good work, son! Away with you now."

"Sir!" The man saluted, turned, and was gone.

Only once Tormuj had returned to his personal quarters did he break the wax seal and remove the folded letter. Using flint and wick, he lit several candles on his desk, then smoothed out the letter.

"_Everything is going as planned._

_Before the sun rises and sets again it's gonna get done._

_Come or don't come._

_- R."_

Tormuj crumpled the letter and cast it into a nearby burning fireplace. So suddenly were these events being put into motion, and his circumstances had changed dramatically!

He fetched a feather pin, ink pot, and a fresh roll of paper. Dipping the quill into the ink, he began to write a letter of his own. Oftentimes he had to pause, in order to recount certain information, but the quill scribbled across the paper quick as lightning. The documented information had to be delivered quickly, lest all of his plans and sacrifices went up in smoke!

"A dangerous game we're playing," The man uttered to himself, the pen still furiously scratching at the paper.

Just as he finished the final line, his door was suddenly thrown open. Tormuj whirled around, expecting an insolent militant, but instead found Mailiki standing there.

"Don't you knock, friend?" Tormuj growled.

"Messenger's here," Was all the burly man replied, before stepping aside. In strode a man, clothed head to heel in black.

Tormuj studied the man up and down several times, "You're the one they sent, then?"

The stranger nodded.

Tormuj seemed unconvinced, "And how do I know that? Prove it."

The stranger snickered, "You foreigners always were really paranoid," But he turned to his right side, hooking his fingers beneath the folds of his shirt. He pulled up his black shirt, then the tanktop underneath that, to reveal the large tattoo of a symbol.

Tormuj leaned forward, studied the symbol carefully, then nodded. He folded his recently written letter, stuffed it into an envelope, sealed it, then handed it to the messenger.

"Anything I should tell him?" The stranger asked before throwing open the door.

"Tell him that his prize will be delivered soon," Was all Tormuj said. The stranger nodded, then exited through the door.

Mailiki appeared a moment later, stepped inside, and slowly shut the door, "It's happening soon?"

"Yes my friend," Tormuj responded, staring into the crackling fire, "Much sooner than I'd have liked, but... we make due with what we're given!" He then turned to the larger man, "Is everything else ready?"

The burly man nodded, crossing his arms, "They've all been selected and continue to wait."

"And the other?"

Mailiki seemed to chuckle, though it sounded more akin to a diesel engine turning over, "Poor bastard won't even know what hit him."

Tormuj allowed a chuckle of his own, before standing up and strapping on his belt and signature daggers. "Very good, dear friend." He stepped toward the door, around the larger man, and clapped him on the shoulder, "Take good care of everything here. And keep our men in line."

Mailiki slapped a meaty palm over the top of the other man's, "Til death."

"Til death!" Tormuj chuckled, before turning and striding away. "Fort Condor awaits!"

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Edge City; World Regenesis Order Tower] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>Rufus buried his face inside of his palms and heaved a tremendous sigh. The order came in not a half hour ago that the battle had been won. But directly behind that came the casualty reports, and with each new report that came in, that number jumped up by several dozen. The battle had been won, but at what a price. The battle had been won, with the turning point being the arrival of Cloud and his allies, namely the pilot Cid and his airship. Had it not been for them, would the battle had still been won? What if the man Reij had destroyed all three of their warships? Another report flew onto his desk then, placed by a nameless Turk recruit, whom promptly saluted and left.<p>

'Another casualty report,' Rufus thought, and started to push it away, when a red stamp marked 'URGENT' caught his attention. Slowly, he picked it up and scanned the words upon the page. Apparently, the rebel leader had taken part in the battle as well, if only briefly. He sneered then, and a million more questions raced through his head. Why was the man not captured? Killed? Why now would the madman dare to show his face? And the biggest one of all: how could Cloud or anyone else let the man get away? He would find the answers to all these questions before the sun came back up.

An intercom buzzed on his desk, "Yes?"

"Sir, Tseng has returned from the battle," Lysa's voice replied.

"Send him in. And you get in here too, girl," Rufus' voice sounded impatient, and stern.

One of the double doors opened a second later, Tseng walking in and Lysa following close behind, looking worried. Tseng still looked battle-worn, but had at least stopped to change his clothing, and managed his hair back into a ponytail. His face and hands were still smudged with dirt and bits of dried blood.

Rufus beckoned them closer, "You know that you could have washed first, Tseng,"

"Apologies, sir," The other replied, "I assumed a full report was more important than my hygiene,"

"Not when you smell like that it isn't," Rufus forced a chuckle, to try and bring humor into a dark situation. He cleared his throat, and gestured to a stack of paper, "Many of the reports have already come in; mostly tallies on our losses." He looked serious then, and pushed the previously read report across the table, "Now, I want to know what happened with the Brotherhood leader."

Tseng glanced briefly at the report, "He arrived not long after General Warick and Commander Burkhalt's forces arrived, sir. Cloud attempted to slay him, but the man erected a barrier around himself."

"A barrier?" Rufus asked.

Tseng nodded, "Some sort of force field from a materia. All of Cloud's friends attempted to shatter it, but to no avail. He summoned some sort of beast," Here he reached into his coat pocket and produced a single photo of the Gorefiend, Yarzagorth, "And they slew it."

"And?" Rufus pressed.

"I wasn't nearby then, but reports say that shortly after the rebel leader turned and fled, along with the remainder of his army. Some say when the fiend was slain, the leader collapsed and looked to be nearly dead himself."

Rufus pondered this for a moment, "Sounds to me that he over-taxed his strength. Commanding such a monstrous being and holding an unbreakable barrier around yourself would require a great deal of it. That is, strength, both mental and physical."

Tseng nodded in agreement.

"And what about the Brotherhood that we've captured?" This he said, looking at the redhead Turk, Lysa.

The woman stood at readier attention, "Well over three-hundred rebels surrendered when their leader ran away. The rest caught between our soldiers fought on anyway. Those ones are dead."

"What else? Where are they being placed?"

Lysa hesitated, "Wherever we can put them, sir. But all the local police holdings and even our own jails here are filling up fast."

Rufus drummed his fingertips on his desk, "Seems like a waste of time. They're terrorists, one and all. If it were up to me, I'd have executed them all instead of bringing them here." He scoffed, "But Reeve is a humanitarian through and through and believes in fair trial. Feh."

Tseng spoke next, "Sir, there is one thing I've recently found out that is bothering me,"

"Funny, there's a lot of things that are troubling me. But go ahead."

The male Turk shuffled his feet, "I put in a request to Reeve to send the Turk recruits along with Warick's forces. Many of them are trained in demolitions, long-rage shooting, even digital warfare. But not the first recruit was present at the battle."

At this, Lysa also shuffled, bu nervously. Rufus latched onto this immediately, "I recall that order. I also recall that it was you," Here, Rufus pointed a finger at the woman, "who was in charge of delivering that order. If I remember correctly, you were also supposed to be the one to lead them to the battle."

Lysa looked absolutely shame-faced, and directed her eyes to her feet, "I'm sorry sir, Director Tseng."

Tseng turned and faced the woman fully now, towering over her, and glaring, "'Sorry' doesn't forgive disobeying a direct order!"

"But it wasn't my fault! Really!" She pleaded now, backing a step away from the glowering Director, "I never got such an order, I swear! Tech blames a faulty communication system."

"If I got wind of the order, so then should you have," Rufus pressed.

"But sir, I wasn't here, remember?" Lysa reminded the blonde ex-president, "I was still overseeing the evacuation of civilians."

Here Rufus stood up, throwing his weight against his walking cane, "You're calling me a liar now, Lysa? I'll have you tried as a war criminal."

"N-No sir! I only meant that..."

"I don't think will be necessary, sir," Tseng put in before the situation escalated, "I'll personally look into the matter with the recruits. For now, I think it would be smarter to plan our next move."

Rufus had never took his eyes off of Lysa, who had seemed to shrink under his stern gaze. However, he did eventually return to his seat, "You're right, Tseng." He then pulled back a coat sleeve to glance at his watch, "Reeve is wanting to meet in a half hour. He should be arriving here any time now."

Just then, a device in Lysa's ear beeped, "He's already here, sir."

"Very good," Rufus said, and slowly stood up, "Best not keep the 'president' waiting," He said with sarcasm.

* * *

><p>"Down to brass tacks then, Reeve?" Rufus had said some time later, as he took a seat. He was flanked by Tseng and Lysa, standing a foot behind him.<p>

Across the circular table, Reeve nodded and took his own seat. _He_ was flanked by two elite WRO marines, clad in black and gray camouflaged combat gear. "I think that would be best, yes," He replied.

The meeting had taken place in a secret bunker below the WRO Tower, and the entire sealed room had been swept for recording devices, cameras, or any other sort of bugs. Only once the room was confirmed to be clean did the meeting begin. A large wooden circular table occupied the center of the space, and the surrounding computer terminals had been switched off.

To Reeve's right sat General Warick. He, like Tseng, had changed his clothing but was still obviously fresh from battle. To _his_ right was Burkhalt, his face heavily bandaged with one eye concealed. His arms were likewise bandaged from shoulder to elbow, and despite protests from both Reeve and the medical team, he insisted on being at this meeting. Across the table from these two sat Captain Deidra Martell of the _S.S Odin_, who had arrived via helicopter and left her first mate in charge. And to her left sat another man, mid-thirties, with close-cut dark hair and was clean shaven, The pins adorned on his chest signified him as a high-ranking official, like Burkhalt. Commander Gregory Swars was his name.

"Right, thank you all for being here," Reeve began, "It's imperative that we discuss this battle and find out what happens next."

Rufus leaned forward, "I'd like to start with a few questions for Burkhalt and Warick, you as well Miss Martell." He eyed the three of them one at a time, then went on, "I for one would like to know how this Brotherhood leader managed to escape."

Burkhalt answered first, "Mr. Strife couldn't even break through the barrier with that big sword of his. What makes you think any of us could do something about it?"

Next, Deidra Martell, "Our main weapon systems were fried from an EMP nuke the rebels had. And as I understand it, Captain Highwind of the _Shera_ had launched a missile when the leader fled, and it did no good."

And finally, Warick, "As Commander Burkhalt said, all of Mr. Strife's friends had attempted to destroy the barrier. Whatever kind of power it was, it covered the entire semi truck the bastard was on."

Reeve pounded a small gavel on the table, "Enough. Rufus, do you honestly doubt that if our men COULD have captured the man, they would have?"

Rufus leaned back in his seat then, scratching his chin, "Of course not. But answer me this, gentlemen, and... lady, what do we have to show for this victory?"

"What do you mean?" Captain Deidra asked.

"You've all read the reports, I'm sure," Rufus continued, "and if not..." Here, he fished the latest casualty report from his jacket and slid it towards the female captain, "there is a reminder. And here..." He removed another sheet of paper, and pushed it towards his left, towards Burkhalt, "is a list of confirmed dead and or captured Brotherhood members. Nowhere on _that_ list will you find a high ranking rebel official. The leader escaped, all of his commanders and best soldiers are still alive. The death toll on both sides is nearly similar. _What do we have to show for this victory?_"

A silence fell over the room then.

"Whatever it might be," Commander Burkhalt finally said, "We need to step up our game. These bastards are more heavily armed than any of us probably assumed."

"Explain, commander," Reeve inquired.

The man looked down at his cupped palms upon the table for a long time, the memories of the battle flashing before his eyes. For a moment, he thought he was still on the battlefield. He shook off the memories, then finally spoke, "When the Brotherhood leader showed up in that eighteen-wheeler, he had two other trucks with him. All three of them fired volley after volley of rockets. In just thirty seconds, I lost over two hundred men." Here, he turned to look at Rufus, "and for _what?_" Then looked towards Reeve.

The WRO president shifted in his seat, "The losses were great, yes, but we've pushed back the Brotherhood and saved Junon from..."

"Junon is in flames... sir," Deidra threw in suddenly.

"But it's not under Brotherhood occupation!" Reeve snapped, glaring at the female captain, "I don't think I need to tell any of you how grim the situation for us would be, had the rebels won that fight! Edge would become a ripe fruit waiting for be plucked by the dirty, evil hands of this new enemy!"

Commander Swars, who had remained silent the entire meeting, abruptly stood up, catching the attention of everyone in the room, "President Tuesti is right. This is war, and soldiers die. But each and every one of them in those coffins knew what they signed up for. And I don't doubt for _one second_ that they died with regrets. They died so that Edge would remain free!"

"Tell that to the ones in the coffins. Or their loved ones, for that matter! I'm sure they would disagree with you, Swars," Burkhalt snapped.

"War has always been young men dying, and old men talking," Rufus put in, "Is this really about freedom so much as putting..."

"**Enough**!" Reeve suddenly yelled, silencing the entire room, "The families of the deceased will be compensated, and should any of them need anything from the army, we **will** give it to them if it is possible. And every man and woman out there in those coffins with the WRO flag draped over them, **will** receive a proper burial. I already had a team clear out and prepare a cemetery specifically for our fallen heroes. Now, I'll hear no more of this matter!" And that was the end of that.

Deidra had averted her gaze during the president's outburst, but now she locked eyes with him, "So what do we do now, sir? The Brotherhood are still out there."

Reeve was silent for a time, then he turned to the man directly to his right, "General Warick, you haven't said a word. What do you suggest?"

The general of the WRO army stared at the president for a long time, occasionally averting his gaze to the table. "Honestly, Mr. President? I suggest that we end this war as soon as possible."

"Warick's right," Burkhalt spoke next, "War might be a stressful business, but it's also an expensive one."

"You're both right, of course," Reeve said, then looked across the table at Rufus, "It might be time to pull another trick out of our hat. Rufus, you haven't reported lately on what's going on at the Northern Glacier. What's the update on that?"

"Northern Glacier?" Deidra asked.

"Well," Rufus chuckled, "Looks like I have some explaining to do. Tseng, get Luke on the phone. Also, when shall we include Cloud on this little meeting?"

"This gets solved first," Reeve scolded, tapping a finger on the table for emphasis, "We need all of the facts before we go before Cloud and the others. Since at one point you took it upon yourself to play shadow games, that is what they expect from us. I will _not_ lie to my friends, or withhold facts, whether its because of ignorance or otherwise. So yes, Director Tseng. Get this Luke on the phone."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Fort Condor] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>The silver-haired man sat upon a high backed chair, resembling a medieval throne, and wiped a thin line of blood from his mouth, "Mr. Strife is more powerful than I give him credit for," he muttered.<p>

Edward Cross stood nearby, "Sir, are you sure you're okay?"

"Mr. Cross, if you ask me that one more time I swear to JENOVA I'm going to hang you from this very fort!"

By now, the sun had started to rise over the horizon. The leader and his commanders had arrived only recently at the fort, and what remained of the attacking army continued to arrive man by man. Almost half of those that had retreated, however, had succumbed to severe wounds and simply died. Those not dead or arriving at Fort Condor, collapsed from exhaustion and were promptly arrested and ferried back to Edge City. When Edward reported this, the leader merely scoffed.

"Weak unbelievers, all of them. If they could be captured to easily, then they deserve their fate!"

Edward started to speak, but remained silent.

The strength had not returned to the rebel leader, and he felt as though he had fought the entire WRO army single handed without sleep for several days. The power of the summon materia and the defense materia were extremely taxing on his own strength, and in hindsight he should have known better than to employ both. With this in mind, he threw back the thick black sleeve of his robe, and popped the two materia free of his wrist band, letting them hit the solid ground with a clink and roll off to the side.

"You don't think any of the captured will squeal, sir? Tell the enemy valuable information?"

Again the silver-haired man scoffed, "What could the peons tell what the enemy doesn't already know? You saw what happened when they tried to come to us. They cannot reach us here! So long as Fort Condor is ours, we are unstoppable!"

Edward seemed unconvinced, but nodded. "What about our losses, sir? Almost half of our standing forces have been eradicated or captured."

The leader considered this, then huffed, "Get a message to Mideel. Call up the reserves and get every single man and boy with a gun here at once!"

"Right away, sir," Edward bowed, then turned and exited through a side door to carry out the orders.

Silence fell over the room then, the man upon the throne wiping another line of blood that slowly leaked from his nose. He eyeballed the blood with a snarl, "I _am_ chosen by JENOVA... I have to be!" He said out loud to the empty room.

At the far end of the hall sat two large double doors, both of which were suddenly thrown open to clatter loudly against the walls. In strode Reij, the left side of his face bandaged, and walking with a slight limp. Followed closely were four of his own men, with vests bearing explosives and other such things.

"Reij!" The leader growled in menace, "When I want to see your disgusting face, I will call for it!"

Reij smirked, he and his four men stopping five strides away from the 'throne.' "Apologies, boss-man!" And bowed forward in mock apology. "Just came asking questions!"

"And by what right do you think you can question _me_?" The other spat.

"A right fucking suicide mission that was! Why the hell didn't you tell any of us the WRO was gonna pull battleships, and a fucking _airship_ out of their pockets?"

"Why don't you ask General Cross? He's the intelligence officer!"

Reij huffed, "And on top of it all, my Geo-leviathan is ruined. What am I supposed to do about that?"

"Your problem, not mine."

"Unless it's a direct affront to the war effort! Don't forget, _sir_, the Geo-leviathan is what helped you capture this piece of shit broken down fortress!"

"Silence!" The leader shrieked, "I won't have my leadership questioned by a lowly grunt like you! You will follow my orders to the letter, do you hear me?"

Silence.

"_Do you hear me?_" The silver-haired man asked again.

"Loud and clear," Reij remarked, then uttered under his breath so only he could hear, "Asshole."

The leader then flopped back down into his chair, "Where the hell is Tormuj? That foreign rebel and his forces should have been here days ago."

Reij nodded, "I already sent a letter to him, he should be here before the sun sets. Him and the others."

The leader also nodded, "Good, good."

The demolitions expert then swallowed his pride and hatred, and spoke formerly, "_Sir_, let's take a walk. Thought I would stretch yer ear a bit. Tell ya a plan or two of mine that might help."

The silver-haired man regarded the other suspiciously, then finally relented, and stood up, "Very well. This way," And turned towards a side door, throwing it open and walking through.

Reij turned to his four men and nodded with a wink, then followed the rebel leader through the door. Once the other man's back was turned to him, Reij reached into his vest and grabbed a thick, wooden object.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Junon Fields] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>The clearing of Junon Fields stretched on well through the night and into the morning. By now, it was just after ten in the morning, with low-hanging gray clouds lazily drifting by in the overcast sky. It was slightly chilly, yet not uncomfortable, and with all of the running around, it was impossible to be cold.<p>

Cloud bent down and hoisted another soldier back to his feet, throwing the man's arm over his own shoulder, "Can you walk?"

The soldier slowly put weight onto his left foot, which until now he had held up from the ground. He winced when he did this, but slowly pushed off of Cloud, "Just a sprain I think. Thanks, Commander Strife."

"I'm not a commander," Cloud reminded the man.

The soldier chuckled, then winced again and grasped his midsection, "Might as well be. When you showed up, all the guys rallied behind you. 'Yo, it's Cloud! Royalty is in the house now boys!' they all said."

The blonde nodded at that, allowing a little smirk, "Glad I could help. Get yourself patched up." Then turned and began to walk away.

"Wait, sir... one more thing."

He turned around, "Yeah?"

Here, the soldier removed his helmet, and even fished a black marker from his pocket, "Would you sign my helmet?"

Now Cloud laughed, completely taken aback and caught off guard. But all the same he scribbled his signature on the inside of the helmet.

"Aw, sweet! None of the guys are ever gonna believe this! Thanks!" Then turned and slowly hobbled away.

"That was really sweet." A voice called behind Cloud. He turned towards it.

"Huh?"

It was Tifa, smiling with a hand on her hip, "What you just did. You know you make more of a difference than you give yourself credit for, Cloud."

He stepped closer to her, "What do you mean?"

"Believe it or not, we're all kind of famous. A lot of people know us for the things we've done. With Sephiroth, the Geostigma outbreak, fighting off Kadaj and the others?" She winked. "We're celebrities."

Cloud looked down at his gloved hands, noting the cracked, dried blood still stuck to both them and his forearms, "It makes sense, I guess. It's... it feels good to make a difference without spilling blood."

She reached up and touched his face, "It's called being human, _Mister_ Strife. You'll get used to it, I promise."

He smiled now, taking her hand into his, "Yeah, I know."

She giggled, drawing away, "Come on, back to work." Then turned and was gone.

Cloud watched her go, the smile never leaving his features. He felt better now, much different from when the battle had originally ended. He felt that dark entity tug at his mind, but he shoved it as far back as he could.

"Cloud! Gimme a hand here will ya!" Cid suddenly yelled. He was attempting to lift a steel beam that had fallen across a female soldier, pinning her to the ground. Cloud quickly ran over to help.

Tifa meanwhile, had retrieved a bag of medical supplies and healing potions and salves, and wandered around the seated soldiers, wounded and waiting to be evacuated via helicopter or truck. She helped the combat medics clean and bandage wounds, gave out potions (even helping one or two soldiers take it, were they too weak to move) and always with a gentle touch and warm smile. 'You fought bravely' and 'your loved ones will be so proud' and 'your family raised a hero' were among some of the things she would say to them. All of the wounded soldiers, male and female, always managed to smile back at her, knowing exactly who she was and always thanked her for everything good she had ever done.

"Soon as I get better, me and the guys are gonna come down to the bar," One male soldier rasped.

Tifa smiled at the man, "First round of drinks are on me, sir," She promised.

"Oh... guys'll be thrilled to hear that!" He turned his head to the side and coughed, hacking up a wad of blood, "Sorry, miss,"

Tifa knew then that he wasn't going to make it. She kept her smile up and reached down to gently touch his face, pushing the man's eyes back to hers, "Hey, nothing to be sorry for. What's your favorite drink?" She bent down closer, to make sure he could hear her, "I'll be sure to make it extra stiff for ya!"

The dying soldier managed a weak smile, "Straight up... whiskey... was always my thing." Another coughing fit, and still more blood leaked from his mouth.

"Stay with me, now," Tifa said, "Come on, you're okay!"

"Wish I could have some now... die with a little buzz,"

Tifa then frantically looked around, wondering exactly where or even if any whiskey could be found. She tried to find Cid, who almost always seemed to have a flask on him, but he was nowhere to be found. Despair took her then, and she looked back down at the man.

"I'm so sorry," Was all she could choke out.

"Don't be," He muttered, "Tell my family... fought... bravely..."

Then one final cough and a rasp of air, and the man was gone. Tifa fell back onto her rump, refusing to cry. A higher ranking soldier came up then, collected the man's dog tags and placed a white cloth over the body.

"There was nothing anyone could've done, Miss Lockhart," The official said, briefly putting a hand on her shoulder, "Don't blame yourself,"

"You can't save them all, Tifa,"

The woman looked around, and found Vincent standing there, right hand extended. She took it and was hauled back to her feet. She passed the medical bag onto another soldier, then followed the gunman.

"I know I can't save them all, but... at least some of them could pass on with some dignity."

"There's no dignity or clean death in a war," Vincent said.

"Is this really a war though?" She asked, looking up at the man and following close by, "Is this really going to happen again?"

Vincent stopped then, just as he always seemed to do when making a point, "It goes on until the Brotherhood are disbanded, or destroyed."

She looked down then, and wondered. She had no regrets, and she would still fight. She made a promise to herself that she wasn't going to linger on the past, or let it destroy her will. She looked back up, "What happens now?"

Vincent eyed her for just a moment, "As I understand, Reeve is soon to call everyone back to Edge. It seems he doesn't want to keep everyone in the dark for long."

"But what about you?"

"I meant what I said in the bar, Tifa. You still have..."

"Here," she cut him off, pulling the chain still around her neck out to show him the Cerberus ring.

He nodded, "Good. I still have to tell the others," Then turned around the leave.

"Wait Vincent. Can you do me just one thing?"

He turned to stare at her.

"Don't..." Tifa began, trying to find the right words, "Don't say anything to Cloud or the others about his nightmares. I want to confront him about it myself... alone."

"I won't," Vincent replied, "Good luck, Tifa."

"You better come back alive, Vincent!" She called after his retreating form.

He merely responded with a small thumbs up over his left shoulder.

"Come on, foo'! Marlene is stronger than you!" Barret yelled as he strained against the metal beam.

"Put some ass into it!" Cid responded.

"Speak for yourself," Cloud grunted and again pulled on the obstacle.

When both blondes could not move the beam still pinning the female soldier down, they had sent for Barret. Even now with the three of them, they were struggling to move the thing. A pair of soldiers rushed over to help, and as soon as the beam was lifted just far enough, another ran over to gently pull the female out of harms way. Once she was clear, the five men backed away and let the beam fall to the ground with a loud thump.

"Fuckin' hell!" Cid swore and spat on the beam, "Is she okay?" He asked to the team tending to the woman's injuries.

"Looks like three cracked ribs and one broken," One of the med team said, "Other than that I think she'll live. You're lucky to be alive, you know."

"Don't I know it," The woman groaned, "Jessica Ramos... thanks boys," She smiled at Cid, Barret, and Cloud. "When this is all over, I may come looking for you," This she said while pointing at Cloud, "You're cuter than I thought you'd be."

Cloud smiled at the girl, then turned away to hide his blush.

"Hoo ha!" Barret laughed, "Hope Tifa wasn't around to hear that!" Then slapped Cloud on the shoulder.

"Shut up," Cloud grunted, shrugging off the hand.

"What's-a-matter spike trap?" Cid hooted, "If ya hadn't spent all those years bein' a emo kid you'd find a lot of chicks would want ya!"

Cloud walked on, ignoring the two as they continued to trade jokes and jibs with one another.

By this time, many of the dead had been collected, and many more wounded had been cleared and shipped back home. The fields outside Junon looked very different now, that is, there were not as many bodies littering the ground. The ground all around now was littered with ruts, discarded weaponry, bullet holes and empty shell casings, and puddles of bloody, murky water. It would be several seasons before the fields were lush and green again, no longer scarred by the aftermath of war.

Cloud and the other two males stepped under the shattered portcullis that lead into lower Junon, where still more soldiers ran this way and that to ferry their fellow soldiers to the proper evac points. Black smoke belched into the sky from several points, but for the most part all the major fires had been doused, or otherwise were under control.

"Man, they really jacked this place up!" Barret commented as the trio walked through the streets.

"Worse things have been done," Cloud replied, "We'll rebuild. We always do, don't we?"

"Damn skippy!" Cid said, "Shit, if we could build Edge after Meteorfall, this should be a walk in the park!"

They walked on, soldiers calling out to them and patting them all on the shoulder as they passed, others even walking up and shaking their hands to thank them all for their help. Rounding yet another corner, Cloud looked up and saw a bright red cloak swaying in the wind.

"Hey... is that Vincent?" Cloud said. They all looked up.

"It is!" Barret said, then cupped his left hand around his mouth and bellowed, "Yo! Vampire Man! Get the hell down here!"

Vincent in turn, looked down from his perch atop a broken walkway, then merely stepped off the edge and plummeted downwards. He landed directly in front of the trio, less than a foot away.

"Some hellacious fighting back there!" Cid said.

Before the mood rose too high, Vincent uttered, "There's some things we need to discuss,"

This caught Cloud's attention, "Like what?"

Vincent looked around, seeming uncomfortable with such a large crowd around them. He instead moved down an abandoned alleyway, beckoning the others to follow him. Once the four of them were alone, he said, "I'm leaving soon."

"What!" Barret yelled, louder than the others were comfortable with, "First time I seen yo ass in months and now you're leaving again?"

"Yeah, what gives Vincent?" Cid put in. Cloud said nothing.

"I'm sure you all know the situation with Yufie," Vincent said, and it wasn't a question.

"Yeah! I had to find out the hard way!" Cid put in, "Through some shitty tv way up in the Northern Glacier! I filled Barret in when I picked him up."

"Tifa told me after Fort Condor," Cloud said.

"So where the hell you goin'?" Barret fumed.

"I'm going to Wutai, to inform Godo of Yuffie's situation," Vincent answered, "Perhaps Wutai can be convinced to join the fight."

"Pah!" Cid spat, "That pigheaded fuck isn't going to do a damn thing except let Wutai keep being a tourist attraction!"

"He might reconsider if he thinks his only daughter is either dead or in chains," Vincent retorted.

Right then, Cloud's cellphone rang, and he stepped away to take the call. Barret spoke next, "Well at least let us help you, foo'! You ain't gotta do this all alone!"

"Yeah," Cid put in, "That's a long ass ways away. I'll give ya a lift!"

"No," Vincent suddenly said, "This war is only now building steam. You saw how close the WRO were to defeat. Reeve needs the _Shera_ and all of you. One less out won't make a difference in the end,"

"Then I'll get Luke or Reeve to get ya a small airship..." Cid started, and was again cut off.

"No," Vincent again said, "I refuse. Reeve needs every bit of firepower that he can. I won't let him spare a single ship; he and I have already had this discussion."

"And when the hell was this!" Said Barret.

Vincent cut his eyes to the man, "Before you and Cid ever decided to arrive."

Cloud, who had been listening to the whole thing, snapped his phone shut and stepped closer to the others, "And does Tifa know?"

Vincent nodded, "I've already informed her,"

"Who the hell was on the phone?" Cid asked.

"Reeve," Cloud replied, "He wants all of us back in Edge, wouldn't say why," Then turned and looked at Vincent, "Everyone except you of course."

"So whatcha gonna do now, Vampire Man?" Asked Barret.

"I'll remain in Junon, to help restore order and peace," Vincent said, "I'm going to speak with the _Garland_'s captain to charter passage into the west."

"What happened to 'I'm not gonna let Reeve spare a single ship' eh?" Cid pressed.

Vincent huffed, "The _Garland _is already scheduled to depart for the coast."

"What about..." Barret started.

Vincent interrupted him, "Even after everything we've all been through and you still worry. Focus on the here and the now, leave Wutai to me."

Cloud stepped forward then, and extended his hand. He clapped Vincent by the forearm, nodding, "Do what you gotta do, but you make sure you come back."

"Yeah, hopefully with Wutai behind ya!" Barret laughed, slapping the gunman on the shoulder with his left hand.

"Yeah, good luck dead man!" Cid threw in, shaking the other's hand, "Hope ya still got a cell phone! If we find Yuffie we'll let ya know!"

"Right, guess we better get moving," Cloud said a second later, "I'll go find Tifa and Fenrir, we'll meet you guys there."

There was yet another round of farewells and good luck wishing, and then three figures turned and exited the alley, splitting and moving in separate directions. Vincent remained, standing alone in the shadowed close-knit quarters of the alley. Slowly, he reached with his right hand into an inner cloak pocket and retrieved his own cell phone. Flipping it open, he stared at the screen for a long time. Now was the beginning of a personal journey, for something he believed to be right. Alone he was traveling into the west, risking even his own life, all because a good friend and ally was in danger. There could be no distractions, no cause for error. Yuffie was in danger or dead, Reeve needed more allies for the war effort against the Brotherhood.

With a final huff, Vincent turned the opposite directions his friends had walked, discarding his still open cellphone into an open trash can with a clatter.

There could be no distractions.


	26. Stacked Deck

**-Chapter 26-**

**Stacked Deck**

* * *

><p><em>Wanna bite the hand that feeds me, wanna turn the tides; set the demons free and watch 'em fly. Strike down the one who leads me, I'm gonna take his place; gonna vindicate the human race.<em>

_Better watch out, cuz I'm a war machine. Better watch out, cuz I'm a war machine, yeah. Take the reigns of power and seize 'em, draw the battle lines; Armageddon's just a matter of time._

_Tear down the voice of reason, let the arrows fly, your freedom's just a state of mind. Better watch out, cuz I'm a war machine. You'd better watch out, cuz I'm a war machine, yeah._

* * *

><p>The hallway seemed to stretch on forever, though it winded and twisted every few feet. Lit torches hung in braziers on the wall every ten steps, the narrow slits for windows letting in a modest amount of light from the outside. The pair walked, passing by several other soldiers, all of whom saluted and muttered greetings of 'sir' and 'lieutenant' as they passed. The hallway then suddenly turned into a spiral staircase, leading deeper into the lower levels of Fort Condor. Down and down they went, the stairs never seeming to end.<p>

"Tell me more about these 'ideas' of yours that I might like, Reij," The silver-haired man said as they were halfway through their descent.

The light-haired demolitions expert clicked his tongue, "Well since my baby is in ruins now, you're gonna need a new toy, right?"

"You mean _you're_ going to need a new toy; I'm indifferent to it," The other responded with disdain.

Reij chuckled, his voice echoing in the narrow space, "Whatever, boss-man. Them fuckers have airships and warships and tanks of their own! What the shit do we have now?"

"An army of rampaging lunatics, mayhaps,"

"Hah! Fat chance that'll make a difference. Lot of 'em are rotting carcasses now,"

They continued to walk, down down down, until at last they reached the bottom of the stairs. Here, two more armed men saluted them, then pulled apart the barred double doors to let the two pass. This hallway was more spacious, but with fewer men on patrol here. Reij took careful note of this, and walked on beside the leader.

"Tell me why I'm wasting my time with an ant like you, Reij," The silver-haired one said as they continued down the hall.

"Thought you'd wanna know I've pulled some extra funds from the war effort," Reij said, smooth as silk.

That caught the other's attention, who promptly halted in his tracks, boots squealing on the hard floor. He turned on the other man with a venomous glare, "You've done _what_?" He spat.

Reij never blinked, and even started to smirk, "Relax! It wasn't much! Just enough to start building us a couple new toys!"

"How much and where?"

Reij thought a moment, "Somewhere in the six digit range. Same place we build all our weapons, where else?"

The leader fumed, and his neck began to turn red from anger, "A six figure cut isn't much to you, Reij? I should hang you for treason!"

The other stood his ground, and even managed to laugh, "You yourself, _sir_? I'd like to see you try!"

The leader drew back his fist and clocked the other man square in the already injured nose. Reij stumbled backward, hitting the wall and clenching his nostrils. His eyes watered, and a line of blood began to trickle down his face.

But still he laughed, "That was pretty good! My turn!" And began to rear back to strike the other.

Before that happened, a pair of militants descended on the two, "Oi! What's going on here?" One of them said.

That seemed to further anger the leader, "Enough! Get out of my sight, all of you! Clear this hallway, myself and this peon have some unfinished business."

"But, sir..."

"**NOW!**" The leader screamed.

A minute later, the entire hallway was cleared.

"Right then, Reij," The leader hissed, using gloved fingers to unlace a couple strings holding his black robe in place. He removed it over his head, and threw it aside into a heap. "Let's just get this out of our system, shall we?"

The other man cackled, removing his outer vest and letting it drop from his body. He noted the leader was shirtless, in nothing but dark colored breaches, boots, and his gloves. This one was of smaller frame than him, but his chest was taut and muscled. He cracked his knuckles, "Come on then, pretty boy!"

The smaller man lunged then, faster than Reij expected. Right fist flew out, only to be caught in Reij's hand, but the left came directly behind, connecting to his jaw. That side of Reij's face was injured, so he stumbled with a grunt to the side. However, he quickly found his senses, and lunged back. He threw out his left fist first, the leader side-stepping away and directly into Reij's right fist. The left came a second later, clocking the other on the cheek.

The silver-haired one took a step back, spitting out a bit of blood, grinning, "Not bad for an ant,"

Reij shook off what remained of the last blow, and lifted a middle finger, "I got your ant right here, mook."

The leader charged again, jumping through the air and colliding with Reij mid-flight. The two fell to the dusty floor in a heap, with the leader on top. Instantly he was swinging his fists at Reij's face, who in turn lifted his arms to deflect the blows. Remembering a similar situation with Tifa, he threw his legs upward, wrapped his ankles around the other's throat, and threw him backward against the floor. Reij was up in a second, booting the other in the ribs as he moved to stand. Despite the blow, the silver-haired man was up again, catching a second kick and yanking the leg upwards. This in turn caused Reij to be forced backward, hitting his back harshly. He saw stars, but quickly rolled aside as the other man stomped the floor where his throat was a moment ago.

"Get up and fight, Reij!" The leader spat.

Feigning defeat, Reij slowly wobbled back to his feet, "You really are a delusional psychopath, ain't ya?" He laughed. "You really think you're some sort of chosen divine being? You're bleeding just like me!"

Now the leader's face was red, "Blasphemer! How dare you question JENOVA or the great Sephiroth?" He shrieked, "I expected better from you, Reij. Then again, you're doing better than I assumed, considering a mere woman beat you to within an inch of your life!"

That caught the other male's attention, and was soon charging down the hallway all over again. He faked a left hook, ducked underneath the retaliating right of the other, and slammed his own right fist into the other's sternum. When the leader bowed forward, Reij gripped his hair and forced his face directly into an upraised kneecap. When his opponent hit his back, he was on him in a second, landing punch after punch to the man. After only three or four punches, the leader managed to swing both open palms upward, clapping Reij harshly on both ears. This discombobulated Reij, and his vision suddenly flushed and he fell off to the side.

Over the next half hour this went on, both men eventually adopting to a style of boxing, dancing around each other and thrusting out jabs and left hooks. Blood stained the floor in rivulets, and some of it somehow managed to be smeared on the walls. Finally, both were near to exhaustion, due to them still being relatively fresh from battle and from having beat each other half to death. They stood there then, still holding their fists at the ready, and teeth clenched.

"Well!" The leader huffed, "I feel good about all of this!" Then slowly relaxed his stance, and lowered his hands, "Wouldn't you agree?"

After a time, Reij did the same, "Hah! We should do that more often!"

"Don't think this changes anything," The rebel leader suddenly said, voice hard as rocks, "You will still be answering for what you've done. You should have consulted me first."

Reij held up both hands, "Just doin' whatever's best for the cause, boss-man,"

"I decide what's best for the cause!" The other yelled again, "Were Sephiroth here now, he would call you an idiot, just as I am now! From now on, no more rogue actions. It's bad enough I have to deal with that damned foreigner Tormuj."

Reij grunted, "Understood,"

"Let us get back. Hammerhand and the Twin Blades should be returning by now," Then turned his back to Reij, and bent forward to pick up his previously discarded robe.

That was the opportunity Reij had been waiting for. Quickly he looked around to make sure there were no witnesses, then reached into the back of his pants. He removed a thick, wooden two-by-four post that he slipped from his vest to within easier reaching distance. He slowly walked over, just as the leader was throwing his robe over his head, back still turned.

"Perhaps I'll let Edward's pet Hammerhand toss you around a bit. That might teach you a lesson," The leader said, and turned back to face the other.

Reij swung as hard as he could, solid wood cracking the side of the other's skull with a sickening sound. The victim instantly hit the hard ground, banging his head hard. Yet somehow, he was still conscious, albeit barely.

"You bastard...! You'll... burn for... this...!" He tried to yell.

Another swing of the post and he was knocked completely unconscious.

"Maybe, but not before you, asshole," Reij chuckled, discarding the bloody post then spitting upon the unconscious leader.

Right then, a door at the far end of the hall slid open, and four of Reij's personal men thump-thumped down the hallway. They each in turn spat upon the fallen leader, laughing. By now, silver hair was stained with fresh blood, streaks running down the side of his head to form small pools around his head.

"Damn, nice goin' boss!" One henchman said.

"Looks like we got us a new leader! Ha ha!" Another cackled.

Reij sneered, "Gonna be interesting, getting' the others in line. Is that prick Edward still here?"

"Just left, boss," One of the militants grumbled.

"Good!" Reij chuckled, "Get those 'contingencies' in place, I wanna make sure Edward doesn't get any funny ideas. And hurry up! He'll be back by tomorrow."

"Aye, sir!" Two of the militants said in unison, then turned and ran off.

"What about him?" Another asked, pointing with his rifle to the silver-haired man.

"First order of business," Reij growled, removing a knife from his belt, and crouching over the fallen body, "is makin' sure this asshole don't give me any more shit!"

Reij then pressed the cold gilded steel hard against the former leader's throat, and prepared to rip it to the left.

"**NOT SO FAST!**" A voice suddenly yelled.

All eyes turned to the far end of the hall, where the door was again thrown open and banged against the wall. Three figures quickly jogged towards them, and Reij was none too happy about the central figure. Beads in his hair clicked and clacked together, and while he never enjoyed this one's company, by him showing up it seemed he had another staunch supporter. He removed the knife from the other man's throat, and stood up.

"The fuck you doin' here, foreigner?"

Tormuj stopped a foot away and smirked, "You wrote this one a letter, remember?" In the thick foreign accent, "Come or don't come, well, here this one is!" Behind him stood two more armed militants.

The bronze-skinned one then looked down at the fallen body, then to the nearby bloodied (and nearly broken in half) wooden post, then forced a laugh, "Lovely work, sir Reij! Or should this one now call you... boss?"

Reij liked the sound of that, and laughed himself, "Get the fuck outta here, foreigner! You were supposed to be here sooner to help me deal with this bastard! I got this now!" Then went to place the knife back at the silver-haired man's throat.

"Wait! You shouldn't kill him just yet!" Tormuj said, and stepped forward.

Reij's eyes lit up in anger, and now held the dagger outward, pointing it at Tormuj, "This asshole here may have put up with your defiance, but I'll be a son of a bitch if I am!"

"Just listen to reason, mighty Reij!" Tormuj quipped, "The leader of the unstoppable Brotherhood has more pressing concerns than killing a lowly peon such as that one!"

Reij relaxed a bit, lowering his knife, "Yeah? Like what?"

"Just slice this foreign bitch and be done with it!" One of Reij's henchmen said. A second later, he fell dead to the ground, a small knife lodged in the front of his throat. The remaining soldier aimed his rifle at Tormuj, who's own men also aimed their weapons at Reij.

"You killed one of my boys!" Reij said, but with a hint of humor.

"Apologies, sir!" Tormuj bowed in apology, then reached outward and lowered his men's guns, "This one doesn't take kindly to insults!"

"Well..." Reij murmured, looking to the fresh corpse and the still unconscious former leader, "I knew you were fast, but not that fast! Ha! I'll let it go this time, could use a guy like you!"

Tormuj smiled a modest smile, "Leave that one to... this one, sir," He said while pointing to the silver hair, "You must cement your new position, and ensure everyone knows that mighty Reij is our new leader!"

Reij laughed now, ignoring protests from his own remaining guard, "Fuck it! I'm too tired to argue. Take this bitch and lock him in a cell while I take care of business! You, go with our foreign friend here," This he said to his guard.

"Glory to the Brotherhood!" Tormuj laughed,

"He's mine, though," Reij's voice suddenly turned serious, "No one kills him except me. And I'll be comin' for him soon!"

"Understood, sir!" Tormuj replied, "Since His Grace was kind enough to lend this one his personal man, this one's own two shall escort you!"

Reij was gone, then, laughing all the way down the hallway and already plotting schemes and ways to turn the tides of war around. Once the two were alone, Tormuj and the lone militant scooped up the fallen one by the arms and legs, and carted him away.

* * *

><p>The thin, wiry man was not heavy by any means at first, but after a while the weight began to wear on the two men. They had to lug the unconscious one up two flights of stairs, from one side of the fort to the next. Once they finally reached the upper jail cells, Tormuj called for a coil of rope, and thick log chains, and a cloth to use as a gag. The two had no problems tightly binding the former leader, stuffing the white cloth into his mouth and tying it behind his head. After, they slammed the door shut, and Tormuj promptly locked it with a skeleton key.<p>

"Right, he isn't going anywhere for a time!" Tormuj laughed as the two walked away.

"I don't like you," The militant bluntly said.

"And why not, good sir?"

Here the man stopped walking, eyes narrowed on the bronze-skinned man, "Somethin' ain't right about you, I've always suspected that since that prick in the cell let you into this army."

Tormuj grinned, hands on his hips, "This one has done nothing but help your boss become the new ruler of the glorious Brotherhood!"

"Cut the shit, foreigner," The man grunted, "You got some hidden agenda, I can feel it."

Here, Tormuj forced a laugh, "Good sir, you're paranoid. And don't forget, this one is of higher rank than you. Must this one explain the politics of respecting your superiors?"

"You ain't my superior," The militant said, turning and walking away, "I'm on to you, fuckhead! And once I tell Reij my suspicions, you won't last long in this army!"

Tormuj gripped the man by the hair, forced his head backward, and opened his throat with a dagger.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Junon Fields] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>The landscape suddenly leveled out before them, with nothing but flat open plain as far as the eyes could see. Tara mashed the pedal all the way to the floor, and once the transmission caught up and flew into the gear, the entire truck lurched forward, nearly throwing Rude from the back.<p>

"Damn, doc!" Reno complained after the back of his head slammed against the seat, "Edge ain't goin' anywhere!"

Tara ignored him, though did lean out the window and yelled an apology to Rude.

The landscape flew by them, the overcast sky looking as though it would soon release rain, or snow. Reno looked down at the speedometer, and the needle was pointing sharply to the right.

"So," Reno began, biting into a load of bread Rude handed him through the open window, "What're ya gonna do once we get back home?"

"Let's just hope there's a home to return to," Tara replied at first, accepting a bottle of water from Rude via her own open window, "You remember that Brotherhood host, right?"

Reno took another bite of bread, "Course I do! Wasn't no black op mission, that's for sure!"

"Exactly," Tara replied, "That was days ago. A lot can happen in days."

"Pfft!" Reno huffed, "Quit bein' a buzzkill doc! Think positive thoughts! What's your plans when we finally get back?"

Tara paused then, gripping the steering wheel even tighter, and trying to push the pedal even further. "I need to make sure my family is okay. After that... I don't know." She turned and looked at the redheaded Turk then, "What about you?"

Reno slouched down in his seat, crossing one leg over the other and reclining his head into both palms, "Not sure myself, doc. Guess I'm just as eager as you to see what's over the next horizon."

After that, they rode on in silence for a time, the only sound being the whipping wind past their ears. Reno stopped to try and seriously consider his and Rude's plans when they arrived. Surely they had their own family to look into, Rufus, Tseng, even that redhead Lysa. Doubt began to swirl in his mind then, that anything was possible. Any of them could be dead, or maybe nothing at all! He even entertained the thought that maybe that Brotherhood host hadn't gone anywhere near Edge or any of its allied cities. Maybe everything was just the same as when he and Rude left with the army to retake Fort Condor! Finally, Reno could take it no more, and reached down to click on the truck's radio, then tuned it to a local station he knew very well. The station was playing an up-beat mid-tempo rock song.

"_I'm travelin' down the road and I'm flirtin' with disaster. I've got the pedal to the floor and my life is runnin' faster! I'm out of money and out of hope, it looks like self-destruction! Well how much more can we take with all of this corruption?"_

Reno couldn't help but laugh, "Fits pretty well, don't it?"

Tara reached over and clicked the radio off again.

"Buzz kill!" Reno chuckled.

Tara ignored him, "You sure we're going the right way?"

"You're the outdoorsy soldier here, doc! You're supposed to know better than me where we are!"

"Not helping," Tara grumbled.

"Just trying to lift your spirits!"

"Still not helping."

In answer, Reno again clicked on the radio.

For several hours they rode on, occasionally stopping for one of them to excuse themselves to a tree or just to stretch their legs. After a time they located a main road that stretched north and south, then veered slowly off to the northwest. They came upon a fork in the road, and the truck suddenly shifted to a stop. In the center of the crossroad was a steel sign post It read:

_EDGE CITY →_

← _FORT CONDOR_

↑ _JUNON_

"Looks like we're almost home, boys," Tara said.

"We should stay off the main road; there could still be Brotherhood out there," Rude threw in from the bed of the truck.

"But the road'll get us there quicker! Come on, Rude, be reasonable!" Reno complained.

"I am," The bald Turk retorted, "We won't get home at all if we're assaulted by rebels and they cut our throats,"

"Rude's right," Tara said, "Better to be safe than sorry."

"Aw, man..." Reno complained again, "I was just getting excited too."

Just before Tara put the truck back into gear, Reno suddenly bolted up in his seat. "Hold up,"

The female gave him a questioning look.

"Over there," Reno said, pointing. Everyone turned and looked. Several plumes of thick black smoke were spiraling upwards into the air on the far horizon.

"And? Could be rebels," Tara said.

"Get real, doc. That's Junon over that next hill!"

"That Brotherhood host might be laying siege to the city," Tara replied,

"All the more reason for us to stay away," Rude commented, adjusting his sunglasses.

Tara paused to consider this situation. If indeed the enemy were attacking the city, that was the last place they needed to go. And if the city was taken and now occupied by the militant army, it would be that much more dangerous. On the other hand, the WRO may have driven them back, and were even now collecting their losses and preparing their next move. The next consideration was that her sister was almost certainly down there, dead or alive. In that moment, her mind was made up.

"We have to go down there, boys," Tara breathed, "My sister... she might be able to help us out."

"I got a bad feelin' about this, doc," Reno warned.

The woman gave him a cold look, "You were just bitching that we were avoiding the main roads."

Rude suddenly hopped off the back of the truck, and stood outside the driver side door, "And what are we going to do if we run into the enemy?"

Tara gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles began to turn white, "Fight or flee, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Who said I wanted to go anywhere near that bridge?" Rude shot back.

"Don't you know, Rude?" Reno said, "You can't argue with a woman! They're always right!"

"You'll make a good husband one day with that outlook," Tara said to Reno, attempting to do so with humor.'

"I still don't like this plan, Miss Norfolk," Rude said again.

Tara was glaring now,"I'm going. Come, or don't come, but I'm going." Then pulled the gear shift down into drive. Rude barely had time to hop back onto the truck before it sped off down the western road.

* * *

><p>By the time they reached the final hill the sun was beginning to sink, with only two or three more hours until sundown. The entire ride, all three of them had been tense, with Rude constantly looking behind them to see if they were being tailed. The closer they got, the telltale signs of a battle became more apparent. The road was covered in deep ruts from many other trucks like the one they were now in, and a couple especially thick tire tracks, no doubt from a tank or some like vehicle. The spiraling smoke lines were very close now, so thick it was that it blocked out what remained of the sunlight. Just before they reached the crest, a thick, horrible smell hit their noses, and Tara covered her mouth to prevent from retching.<p>

"Death," Reno whispered ominously, "And a lot of it. I recognize that smell,"

"So much for lifting my spirits, eh?" Tara grumbled.

"Hey, I'm also a realist, chick. You should have learned that by now!" The redhead responded.

Then they topped the final hill, and Tara slammed the brakes, gasping.

The entire field was in utter ruins, large pools of muddy water scattered throughout. There were not so many bodies as originally, but several score could still be seen across the fields. Ruined, overturned vehicles were still ablaze, belching the thick black smoke. Police and military vehicle sirens drowned out the screams and the shouts, but only every so often. Helicopters zoomed this way and that, occasionally landing to pick up another score of wounded soldiers, then taking to the sky and angling northward. From this distance, it was easy to note a large airship, docked just outside the city, and a thick column of soldiers were being herded into it. The city itself, from this far away, appeared to be in complete ruins, and was the main source of the black smoke.

"Hand me them binoculars," Reno suddenly said, and received them. He removed himself from the truck, and peered through them.

It was easy to note that, while many of the remaining corpses were in fact WRO, many more besides were those of the enemy. He watched as a pair of WRO threw a burly Brotherhood corpse onto the back of a truck with more of his dead friends. The line of people boarding the airship were also of the WRO, and he even recognized the airship. When he saw the large WRO/ShinRa flag swaying in the breeze, he got goosebumps.

"Well? What do you see?" Tara asked after a time.

"Fuck me sideways," Reno gasped, "I don't believe it, our boys won! Looks like we missed one hell of a party."

"Not the time or place for shrewd jokes," Tara scolded.

"Come on, doc," Rude poked his head through the open window, "Let's head down there,"

Reno hopped back into the truck, which then rumbled forward and began its descent.

* * *

><p>They barely reached within twenty feet of the farthest lines of battle, when the sound of bullets ricocheting off the metal and windows rang loudly. In a panic, Tara yanked the emergency break and all three of them crouched down. The bullets never ceased, and it sounded like many thousands of rocks raining upon them. Rude had since thrown himself from the bed of the truck and crouched low behind it, dropping the tailgate directly above his head. Peering underneath, he could see four or five heavily armored WRO jeeps barreling down on them, soldiers leaning out the windows or over the roof and fired upon them.<p>

"Damn shit fuck!" Reno yelled, "Anybody got a white flag!"

Tara's biggest fear right then was that the unknowing soldiers were going to shoot out a gas tank, and that a stray spark would catch the leaking gas. She would die so close to home, despite all of the struggling and the hardships. Her base survival instincts and her will to return home, snuffed out because the soldiers firing on them now did not know better. Everything, gone, because of ignorance.

Finally, the firing ceased, but they all knew they weren't out of danger just yet. Tara panicked again, then just as quickly had an idea. She reached into her combat vest, daring to hope. The trucks were directly on top of them now, with two pulling around to come up from the rear, and two on each side of them.

"Don't you move, you rebel shit! I'll pump you so full of holes if you so much as blink!" Tara heard one of the soldiers say; she knew they had discovered Rude.

"You have no idea who you're..." Rude had started. Then Tara heard a solid sound, and Rude grunting, followed by a loud thump.

She and Reno held their breath, and tried to push themselves lower into the floorboard. Then Tara found what she was looking for, and yanked it out, promptly throwing it over and out the truck window. Her military red cover, with a big white cross charm signifying her as a combat medic just happened to land in the lap of one of the other soldiers.

"Hold your damn fire!" A voice yelled, "Friendlies! Lower your weapons!"

Very slowly, Tara and Reno sat back straight. "Sergeant Tara Norfolk,"

"Yo! What the fuck gives!" Reno yelled, forcing the truck door open and looking like he was going to assault the nearest soldier. He quickly changed his attitude when a wall of guns were cocked and aimed directly at him.

"Reno, enough!" Tara screamed as she removed herself from the bullet ridden truck. She and Reno then moved to retrieve Rude, who had been knocked in the head with a rifle, and had a sizable gash in his forehead.

"Deepest apologies, Miss Norfolk," The senior officer said, "But you're in an enemy vehicle. As soon as we saw the black and silver paint... what else were we to expect?"

"We didn't consider that," Tara reasoned, "But at the same time, do you honestly think a single enemy truck would be stupid enough to come back here?"

No one said a word.

"Rude! You all right partner?" Reno crouched down and hauled the other man back to his feet.

Rude stood straight, clutching his wound with his left hand. A split second later, he suddenly whirled around, clocking the soldier who struck him with his right fist, knocking him out cold instantly. "I am now," He groaned.

The senior officer waved the others to stand down, they having again pointed their guns at the Turk. "And who are you two?" He asked.

"Someone who's gonna have your ass and your rank stripped raw when I get back to Edge!" Reno fumed.

Tara surprised him then by whirling him around and shoving him towards the truck, "Sit down and shut the fuck up for once! Let me handle this!"

"Yo! What the hell is your..."

She surprised him further still by ripping her pistol free and aiming it directly at his left eye, "Don't push me right now, Reno."

He sneered at the woman, but eventually held up his hands and backed slowly away. Rude soon joined him.

She then turned towards the officer and saluted him proper, "I'm sorry, sir... we've been stuck in the wilds ever since Fort Condor. We're all three of us on the edge, and coming back to..." Here, she stretched out her arms to emphasize the carnage around them, "...this, you can understand our nerves a bit shot."

The man nodded, "I understand, and you're all lucky to still be alive; that's a long time in the wilderness. How did you..."

"Long story," Tara cut the man off, "If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like another truck for me and my friends here. Is Junon safe to enter?"

The senior officer turned to one of the vehicles, snapped his fingers and issued a few orders. The men in those trucks slowly climbed out and moved to a separate truck. "Safe enough, I guess you could say. You should be reporting to the commanding officer, but... I'll overlook it for now. Can't imagine what you've all been through."

Tara climbed into the driver's seat, with the Turks sliding both into the backseat. "Thank you, sir. One last thing... my sister, Private First Class Trinity Norfolk..."

The man smiled, "I know Trinity very well, and she's alive. Tending to the wounded in Junon's lower market district,"

"Thank you again, sir," Tara managed a smile of her own, then she turned the truck over, and they headed towards Junon.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Reno," Tara finally said after the truck passed under the entrance and into Junon, "about before."<p>

Reno took a long drag off a cigarette, "Sorry if I don't forgive you so soon, doc. Ya pointed a fuckin' gun at my head!"

Tara watched him in the rear view mirror, "They would have killed you, you know, had you said the wrong thing. You gotta remember, these people are fresh out of battle, and they already thought we were terrorists. I had to contain the situation."

"By pointing a gun at my head?" The redhead scoffed.

"Quit actin' like a woman already. At least I didn't shoot you."

"As extreme as the situation was," Rude put in, "she's right you know."

"Fuck you, Rude, I thought you had my back!"

"Only when it's convenient for both of us," Rude teased with a small smirk.

The streets of Junon were no less war torn than the fields. Civilian and soldier alike ran all around, some tending to wounded, some rushing to put out the small fires still alight within the city, others to man their next guard shifts.

"Wait," Rude suddenly said, "stop."

The military vehicle screeched to a halt. Tara looked around, "What?"

"Isn't that Vincent Valentine?" Rude said, pointing a finger straight ahead.

"Who is he, and why should I care?" Tara huffed.

"He's one of Cloud's friends," Reno reasoned, and when Tara stared at him, he went on, "Who's also friends with the Wutai girl,"

"Let's go have a chat with Mr. Valentine, then," Tara said, already stepping out of the truck a second later.

Vincent had been overseeing a small team of medics gathering wounded civilians, who had refused to evacuate Junon for one reason or another. He stepped outside of a house, cradling a small child in his arms just as the trio stepped toward him. The gunman looked up, passed the child onto her mother, then remained motionless.

"Mr. Valentine?" Tara began, "I'm Sergeant Tara N..."

"I know who you are," He cut her off. He then eyed the two Turks briefly, nodding at them, "Reno. Rude. I _thought_ you two might still be alive."

"You don't sound too thrilled about it!" Reno said.

"He never sounds thrilled about anything," Rude put in.

Vincent made grunting sound, "Rufus will be overjoyed," He said in a stale sort of voice.

"What's the situation here?" Tara asked.

"The WRO pushed the Brotherhood back, and they've paid a heavy price," Vincent replied, turning his back to the three, "This isn't over."

Reno lit another cigarette, lazily blowing smoke rings into the air, "I saw Cid's airship parked out front. Where's he and the rest of your buddies? Where's Chocobo Express?"

"Gone," Came the reply from the gunman, "Reeve has called everyone back to Edge for a post mortem meeting."

"And... why are _you_ still here?" Rude asked with a raised brow.

Here, the enigma whipped around to face them, "Because I'm leaving,"

Tara decided then that she didn't care, "I assume Yuffie is with Cloud and the others too?"

A silence hung in the air then, as Vincent narrowed his red eyes at the female's green ones. Finally, "You don't know,"

"We've spent the last... who knows how many days stuck behind enemy lines. None of us know much of anything anymore." Tara said scornfully.

Another drawn out silence, until finally, "After Fort Condor, Yuffie never made it to the evacuation point," Here, Vincent again looked away, "She's presumed dead, but her body was never found." He shook his head then, "It's assumed she's being held at Fort Condor."

Tara's heart dropped down to her feet then. If this were true, not so long ago she was so close to her friend! "Is that confirmed? Is she there?"

Vincent only shook his head.

"If Yuffie's body ain't been found then she's obviously still alive!" Reno said, trying to comfort the female.

"The question is why they would take her hostage," Rude pondered.

"A bargaining chip for Wutai's loyalty," Vincent added, "Godo's only daughter would be a valuable prisoner of war,"

Reno spat on the ground, "That crazy old man hasn't got the sack to fight in a war! I bet most of his 'warriors' are all fat lazy drunks by now!"

"Don't underestimate a sleeping giant," Rude reminding his partner, "Godo is still a formidable foe, as are his warriors,"

"I'm going back," Tara suddenly declared, and started for the truck, "I have to find my sister first, and then I'm going to find Yuffie."

Vincent quickly stepped forward and grabbed the woman's arm. On instinct, she whipped around, ripping free her survival knife and thrusting it toward his chest. Vincent caught the knife, twisted her wrist until she dropped the blade, then pushed her backward. "You go to your death, should you take that path," He uttered.

Tara retrieved her knife, and returned it to her belt, "I don't care! Yuffie is a good friend of mine and I won't let her rot in a Brotherhood cell!"

"We've all lost loved ones to the ravaging of evil," Vincent replied.

"If there's a chance I can save someone I love, I'm going to take it!" She insisted, "They're both injured, so I'm leaving them in your care." This she said, referring to the Turks.

"Yo, hold the hell up!" Reno piped up, "After everything we've all been through you think we're gonna let you go off alone?"

Rude nodded, "Your fights are our fights now, doc. If we let you leave how would we sleep at night?"

"You're both injured!" Tara argued.

"No more than you are," Rude shot back, calmly.

"Yeah!" Reno added, "Injured or not, we've made it this far haven't we?"

"All of you are fools," Vincent's collected voice suddenly added. The three turned to look at the crimson enigma.

Vincent went on, "An army could not breach Fort Condor; what makes you think three could do any better? If the suspicions are correct, Yuffie will not be harmed; it's possible they've sent demands to Godo already."

Tara considered this a moment, "Then what are we supposed to do?"

Vincent went on, "I've made arrangements with a local captain; I'll go to Wutai myself."

Reno's heart skipped a beat, "That ain't no field trip, Valentine! That's a long ass ways away!"

Vincent scoffed, "Cid made the same comment."

"So why then?" Rude asked.

"Because Yuffie is a friend, and Reeve needs as many allies as he can get. Imagine then, were one of you two to go missing," Vincent said, eyeballing both Turks, "what would you do?"

On instinct, Reno blurted out, "Whatever I could!" Then went silent as he realized the other man's point was proven.

Tara had fell silent herself, listening to the back and forth arguments, her mind racing with possibilities and still more questions. She was conflicted, torn between her sole desire to rescue her friend and the realistic possibility of her own death should she undertake such a task.

"What the hell does Cloud or Reeve think of your little mission?" Reno asked.

"Why do you care?" Vincent retorted, "The discussions have already been said, my decision is final."

"When are you leaving, then?" Rude also asked.

"The _Garland_'s captain is setting out to Costa del Sol in the next day."

Tara had since turned away from the three men, cupping her chin into an open palm. Regret began to swell within her, with the realization that her close friend was being held not far from where her and the Turks began their own journey together. Could she have rescued Yuffie, had she known that from the start?

"Well, whatever! We're goin' with you!" Reno said.

"No," Tara suddenly said, "I am."

"Eh? What gives, doc?"

The female medic moved closer to them then, green eyes bearing a glint of determination. She locked eyes with Vincent, "I'm going with you. If I can't save Yuffie myself, I can at least play a part in making sure she's rescued."

She then turned to the two Turks, "We've been through a lot in the past month or so, and the time we've had together are memories I'll cherish no matter what," Here she stepped closer to them, placing a palm to each of their shoulders, "Standing here now, I'm not looking at a wise-cracking smartass," She said while winking at Reno, then turned to Rude with a smirk, "or some quiet indifferent who seems too good to talk to anybody,"

"No, instead I'm looking at two friends, and close allies," She finished.

"Aw, hell... don't make me cry now, doc!" Reno laughed, slapping his own palm over the woman's, still on his shoulder.

Rude managed a small smile, also placing his palm over Tara's, "Likewise."

"We'd probably just get in the way anyway," Reno went on, "and besides, I'd like to sleep on a feather bed instead of hard ass ground!"

Tara nodded her own agreement, "Rude, your arm is still injured. You don't belong on the road anymore until you're healed."

Rude in turn stretched his injured arm out, and flexed his hand several times, "Barely feel a thing, but..."

"Here's my cell number, doc!" Reno said, after retrieving a pencil and pad of paper from a nearby soldier, then handed it to the woman, "Keep in touch! We'll try and catch up as soon as we can!"

"Good luck... Tara," Rude added.

Reno then removed the silver flask from his jacket pocket, unscrewed the top, and held it into the air, "Here's to a future happy reunion!" Then poured a splash of the gold brown liquor upon the cracked asphalt.

After a brief series of goodbyes, the two Turks then climbed into the armored truck, with Reno behind the wheel. The truck backed up, veered outward, then headed towards the exit of Junon. Tara watched them depart with a small smile; she knew she'd see them again.

Vincent hadn't said a word the entire time, but now spoke "What makes you think I'm going to let you come?"

She turned to face the man, "Because you need my help."

"I've faced far worse on my own, and here I stand,"

She took a defiant step forward, "I'm coming with you. You might know Yuffie a lot better than me, but she is still a friend. I woke up in the woods, less than fifty miles outside Fort Condor, not knowing if I would make it back here, if my family was dead, if Yuffie was dead or alive... I'm coming with you, Valentine."

Vincent didn't make a sound, never even blinked, "The _Garland _leaves at dawn. If you've any affairs to settle before then, best do it quickly." He then whirled around and began to walk away, "The ship, and myself, leave at daybreak; with or without you." Then vanished around a corner.

Tara nodded, more to herself than anyone, then turned in the opposite direction and began to walk. As she walked, her mind raced. One adventure was ended, and now another was about to begin. She headed towards the market district, to find her sister. Before she set out on this new journey, she had to put contingencies of her own in place. And she had to do it quickly.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

_~ ` ` ` [Edge City] ` ` ` ~_

* * *

><p>The four companions sat in a large military vehicle, Cloud and Tifa on one side, Barret and Cid on the other. None of them had said a word since leaving the battlefield, but all of them had their own thoughts stewing in their minds.<p>

Barret gazed out the small window, not paying attention to any sort of detail, but lost in his own thoughts.

Cid, his trusted spear leaning into the crease of his elbow, kept his eyes to the floorboard.

Tifa sat as close to Cloud as possible, her head resting on his shoulder, and watching herself twiddle her thumbs idly.

Cloud had an arm thrown over the brunette's shoulders, his mind racing, and avoiding eye contact with the others.

The convoy moved at a hasty speed, the five trucks having been ordered to return to Edge City as soon as possible. The sixth vehicle was actually a large tow truck, and upon the back of it sat the Fenrir, held down by thick chains and straps. Cloud had discovered the motorcycle had deep slashes in both tires, a completely bent frame, and busted headlights. Thankfully, Cloud had the foresight to use a button on his key to open the duel compartments, rather than activate them himself once he was on the bike. Once the compartments flew open, concentrated blasts of shrapnel and glass shot outward, and would certainly have killed whomever was sitting on the bike. It was concluded that it was obviously the rebel's doing, and had hoped to kill the blonde by whatever means necessary.

"You guys think Reeve is gonna attack Fort Condor again?" Tifa finally asked, unable to stand the silence.

"Fat chance," Cid answered flatly, still keeping his eyes down.

"Why do you say that?" Tifa questioned.

Barret answered instead, "Took a helluva beatin' today, Tifa! Unless Reeve is suicidal or just plain dumb, that won't happen for a while!"

"I wonder what's gonna happen now..." She whispered.

Cloud was the only one who heard her, "First we get back to the WRO Tower. We'll figure out what to do next then."

Tifa looked up at her lover, hopeful, "You think it'll ever end, Cloud?"

Mako infused eyes turned down to her ruby colored ones, "'Course. Everything eventually ends, right? These guys aren't invincible; you saw that yesterday, and today."

_Everything eventually ends... _Those three words stuck in the woman's mind, like glue. Right then, all she could think that that implied was the eventual end of all life; their lives, the life of the Planet.

"And besides," Cloud went on, never taking his eyes from hers, "I'm starting to think they threw everything they had at Junon. The battles might be over sooner than you think, Tifa."

Despite the overwhelming doubts, the thought that maybe it would all be over soon did bring Tifa some comfort. On impulse, she turned her head and kissed Cloud at the base of his neck, which gave him goosebumps. He in turn ran a bare hand through her hair, and kissed her forehead.

"Sheesh, get a room you two!" Cid suddenly laughed.

"At least keep it PG-13!" Barret hooted.

Instantly, Cloud and Tifa's faces went red and, on instinct, drew away from each other.

Cid continued to laugh, "Remind me next time I see Yuffie she owes me fifty gil!"

"Huh?" Cloud raised a brow.

"Me and Yuffie had this bet going, see," Cid explained, "about whether or not you two would end up as a 'thang' or not."

"And you betted in favor?" Tifa replied,

"Of course!" Cid laughed, "Come to think of it..." Here, the pilot turned to face Barret sitting next to him, "you owe me a hundred gil!"

"Yo, I don't know what the hell you're talkin' about, foo'!" The other man chuckled, then turned to face the other blonde and the female, "I always knew you two was gonna get jiggy with it one day! It was just a matter of time!"

Cloud and Tifa's faces turned even redder.

"This man's just trying to get me in trouble!" Barret went on, the metal middle finger of his grafted hand raising, aimed at Cid. He then leaned closer to Cloud with a wide grin, "So Cloud, did'ja smack that ass or just kinda grab it and hold onto it?"

"Barret!" Tifa yelled, her face turning redder still. She reached out and punched his shoulder so hard she nearly dislocated it; there would be a purple and black bruise there the next day.

Despite his own face being as red as Tifa's eyes, (which only made Barret and Cid laugh even harder), Cloud joined in the laughter.

"Well?" Barret pressed.

"PG-13, remember?" Cloud replied.

Cid finally managed to stop laughing, brushing a tear from his eye, "Well, our sex lives aside! Yuffie still owes me money when we find her!"

"If we find her," Tifa put in.

"Hey," Cid instantly said in a stern voice, "Don't start that shit, ya hear? We ARE gonna find that annoying materia thief!"

"Yeah, quit actin' like Vincent!" Barret chuckled, "we was all in a good mood and you go in be a buzzkill! Im'a start calling you Vincent, girl!"

Tifa giggled in response, "Sorry, been a while since I was put under that kinda stress,"

"Yeah no kiddin'!" Cid said, yanking a silver flask from his pants and taking a long guzzle from it.

"That stuff's bad for ya, you know," Tifa said.

"Says the bar maid! Hah!" Cid cackled, and offered the flask around; only Barret and Cloud accepted, Tifa respectfully declining.

"I don't drink, you know that Cid," She reminded the male.

"You should!" Barret interrupted, "Makes life a little less stressful,"

"And the next morning pure agony," Cloud suddenly said.

"Pah! What do you know about being hungover, son?" Cid responded, "One time I drank myself so stupid I was clingin' to the ground, screaming for help!"

There was a long pause, then finally Cloud asked, "...why?"

"Apparently I thought I was gonna fall off the Planet! Hah! Crazy shit right?"

"How the hell you even know that went down?" Barret laughed.

"Shera told me of course!" Cid joined in the laughter, and soon Cloud and Tifa were too.

"Why would anyone want to knowingly do that to themselves?" Tifa giggled.

"Well Tifa," Cid smirked, leaning forward, "Let's just call it a means of shattering your "give a fuck light," if ya know what a mean!"

"When this is all over, we're gonna have a big ass party!" Barret bellowed, "And Tifa, yo ass is gettin' drunk! I wanna see that!"

"I just bet ya do," Tifa said with a grin, "We'll see."

Overall, the next hour or so in the truck had been filled with laughter and high spirits, the four companions having decided that lingering on negative thoughts was the worst possible thing to do. Soon enough, Edge City was in sight, and it was indeed a welcome sight for all of the heroes. Tifa felt elated, seeing the city still in one piece, and that this was the very thing they were all fighting to protect. Little did she know that those hopes would soon be dashed.

The driver of the truck the four were in reached up and clicked on an overhead radio, "This is Cure Team nine, requesting entry into the city."

The static crackled and popped for a second, then came the response, "What's your verification code and cargo, Cure nine?"

"Seven-six-three-seven-five-nine-one-zero, One Strife, Lockhart, Wallace, and Highwind."

"10-4," The voice over the radio responded, "Doors opened and beds made; welcome home."

"No place like it," Cloud muttered to himself with the slight hint of a smile.

The five trucks and the tow truck soon passed into the city limits, after a large barricade of WRO vehicles and soldiers cleared the way and opened the gates. Reeve had spared no expense in the ultimate security of the city, and had ordered as much funds as could be spared into constructing tall walls and thick gates. Rufus himself had orchestrated a strict coding and inventory system, so that any vehicles leaving or entering the city could be closely monitored and tracked, so as to keep the enemy out.

Once the convoy passed into the city, the four heroes withdrew back into themselves, but carefully studied the rapidly passing cityscape. They suddenly heard sirens wail, and looked around in a slight panic. Only once the driver informed them that the sirens were coming from the convoy itself did the four of them relax. The trucks veered in and out of traffic, taking a seemingly never ending array of left and right turns, and even a few U-turns. Finally, Cloud peered past the driver and passenger of their truck, and could see it in the distance. A proud and gleaming symbol of hope, of good and restoring the world to how it was supposed to be. A giant silver and bronze spike reaching higher into the sky than any other building in Edge. The World Regenesis Order tower.

"Right! Almost time to figure out what the Sam hell is gonna happen next!" Cid put it. No one else said a word.

A few minutes later, the convoy halted directly at the base of the WRO Tower, Cloud and the others climbing out of the truck a moment later. What they saw was a heavily guarded front entrance, with armed soldiers and sand-bag barricades held together with mortar.

'This doesn't look good,' Cloud thought to himself as he and the three others stepped toward the entrance.

Before the companions got ten steps away from the entrance, the soldiers bunched up, blocking the entrance entirely. One senior officer held out an open palm, "Sorry, sir! You can't enter at this time!"

Cid and Barret instantly bristled, and began to protest when Tifa clenched both of their arms in a tight grip. Cloud continued forward, "I'm Cloud Strife, and President Reeve is..."

"We know who you are, Mr. Strife," The senior officer went on, "but a new order came down. Absolutely no one is permitted to enter right now."

Cid yanked his arm free of Tifa's grip, snarling at the soldiers, "Who the fuck do you think you are, punk? I'm Commander Highwind and as I get it, Reeve specifically asked for us to be here!"

The soldiers held their guns tighter, but kept them down. Again the senior soldier went on, "I'm just following orders, Commander. I'm sorry."

Tifa stepped closer to the soldiers then, offering a warm smile, "We understand, sir. Is there anything we should know?"

The officer nodded, "President Tuesti is expecting you, but an emergency came up; he said to tell you he'll call either you or Mr. Strife when everything settled down."

"What's happened? What kind of emergency?" Cloud asked.

The officer shook his head, "I'm afraid I know about as much as you, sir."

"What a load of shit!" Barret suddenly yelled. "Last time I heard this kinda bull I was lied to about my daughter being in danger!" He stomped forward then, "Outta the way, assholes!"

Before the soldiers could raise their guns, Cloud lurched forward, gripping Barret by the shoulders and forcing him backward. It took both Tifa and Cid to restrain the large man, and after Tifa lead him away from the sight.

Cloud snorted, "Sorry," The word seemed to ooze out of his mouth, "Fresh from battle, you get our nerves are all shot. Must be nice to get paid, standing around doing nothing while others are out there risking their lives and _dying_."

"Sir, I..." The senior officer started.

But Cloud would hear none of it, "Save it, I understand. Following orders. I was a soldier once too, believe it or not..." The false memories of SOLDIER started to creep in, but the blonde shook them off. "Whatever." Then turned and left.

"You get a message to both Reeve and Shinra!" Cid growled, "I still got a bone to pick with the both of 'em!" Then likewise stormed off.

Before he moved to follow Tifa and Barret, Cloud stopped at the tow truck with Fenrir strapped to the back. He eyeballed the driver, "Take good care of her,"

The driver of the truck nodded, "No worries, Mr. Strife! Already called my guy, he's gonna fix 'er up like new! We'll have her back to ya before ya know it!"

The blonde nodded, removing a few gil and handing it to the driver, "You can send the bill to Rufus," then walked away.

He and Cid caught up with Tifa and Barret a minute later, Tifa having pulled the man to a stop and was trying to calm the man down.

"Damn, man!" Barret yelled, punching a nearby brick wall with his graft hand. The impact caved in the brick a few inches, sending a small billow of dust outward. "What a load of bullshit!"

"Barret, calm down!" Tifa reasoned, "Reeve's never lied to us before, there has to be a good reason for this!"

"Never lied?" Barret said scornfully, "What about when he used Cait to SPY on us for Rufus!"

Now it was Tifa's turn to snarl, "Quit bringing up the past, Barret! All you're doing now is using cop-out excuses to justify your own anger! How about you quit whining like a baby and grow a pair already!"

That silenced the man, but Tifa slowly realized what she had said, blushed, and whirled away while covering her mouth. "I'm sorry Barret,"

Before another word was said, Cloud and Cid caught up to them. It was Cloud who spoke first, "Hey, what's wrong? Tifa?"

Tifa only shook her head, face still flushed and hands still cupped over her mouth. She avoided everyone's gaze.

Cid spoke next, "Let's just head back to the bar for now. I dunno about the rest of you, but I need a stiff drink, or twelve!" Here, he slapped Barret on the back, "Come on big man!"

The four of them then turned in the appropriate direction and started down the sidewalk. Cid and Barret walked in front, with Cloud and Tifa a step behind, hands clasped to one another's. Cloud heard Cid making some small talk, but it seemed that Barret was no longer interested in conversation after Tifa's outburst. Around them, the city almost seemed to be deserted, as there were not as many vehicles are other people walking the streets. The few pedestrians that did pass them by muttered greetings and even congratulations on the recent victory; it seemed that news traveled fast, despite the war raging around them.

"Why are all these people still here?" Cloud asked aloud.

Cid looked over his shoulder, the four of them still walking, "Army volunteers mostly, just in civilian clothes!"

"All of them?" Tifa pondered.

"Mostly," Barret said, though flatly.

"But why are they in plain clothes?" Tifa said.

"In case a spy was discovered," Cid answered, "if you're a terrorist, you're not gonna expect to have your ass kicked by a soccer dad carrying groceries!"

They took a left turn and soon enough the bar was in sight, and each of them breathed a small sigh of relief. To Tifa, it seemed strange that she somehow expected anything less than the place being in one piece. All the same, she was glad to finally be home. Before they took another step, Tifa gently grabbed Cloud's arm and pulled him aside.

"Cloud, I need to talk to you."

"Can't it wait until we get inside?"

The woman shook her head, cutting her eyes briefly at Cid and Barret, "Would rather have as much privacy as possible."

"Yo!" Barret yelled across the street, "what gives?"

Tifa reached around in her vest until she located the keys to the bar. Turning, she flung them across the street, to be caught by Cid, "We'll be there in just a minute, okay?"

Both men exchanged a look, shrugged, then turned and started towards the bar.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Cloud faced the woman, "What is it, Tifa?"

Tifa sucked in a breath, exhaling it slowly, then looked up at him, "Remember what I said to you outside Junon?"

Cloud thought for a moment, fighting through the crazed and hectic memories, "Um..."

"The last delivery you made, you left me a rose and a note, saying _you _had something to talk to _me_ about." Here, her muscles began to clench; she had hated to possibly start a fight, after everything that had happened, but now it was time to get to the truth. "And that you weren't going to lie to me anymore. Right?"

The memories rushed back to him then; he did remember writing such a note. Before he could return to the bar to explain himself, the monsters Sinnah and Sonnia had kidnapped her, and at the same time the Brotherhood launched their initial siege on Junon. Instead, he had to rescue her from the Twin Blades, then together they joined in the fighting. There was no time to explain anything at all, and while he had every intention of coming clean... right then, he didn't want to. Instead, he thought to settle into their bed, surrounded by familiar four walls and take his mind off of things before talking to her.

"Cloud?"

The warrior snapped out of his thoughts, "You're right, I did say that."

"And?" Now she looked at him suspiciously, "What's going on? Did you talk to Rufus again and not tell me?"

"No, of course not," He replied quickly, "It's more... personal than that."

"_Since when do you fear to confront your precious gash, Cloud?" _Sephiroth's voice suddenly echoed in his head, causing him to flinch.

"Shut up!" Cloud suddenly yelled, startling Tifa,

"Excuse me?" Tifa bristled.

"No... not you!" Cloud said.

"Who are you talking to then?"

Right then, Cloud spotted a small black object slowly descending from the sky. It passed by his vision, and his blood ran cold. A black angel wing feather. It landed by his boot, and he bent down to pick it up, staring hard at it.

"Cloud, staring at a bird feather isn't getting you off the hook!"

"Huh?"

Cloud looked up at her, and when he looked back to the feather in his hand, it was indeed a black bird feather, not one from an angel wing. He dropped it, letting it flutter back to the ground.

Tifa bunched up then, her eyes slowly filling with anger, "Don't make me get angry Cloud, I really don't want to. Now what's going on?"

Cloud sucked in a breath, then forced it back out. "I've been having dreams, Tifa. Lucid, vivid dreams."

She cocked her head slightly to the side, "About the fighting? _That's _what you want to talk about? I told you that I get them too, and..."

"You don't understand!" Cloud suddenly snapped, more harsh than he intended, "These dreams... they've been happening before we even knew the Brotherhood existed. Sometimes I think its the past, sometimes I wonder if it isn't the future. Blood, fire, death..."

"Cloud, you're scaring me," Tifa said, inching closer and tentatively reaching a hand out, fingertips brushing his arm, "What kind of dreams? Who's in them?"

"It's... it's..." Cloud couldn't spit the name out.

"Yes?"

"It's him... it's..."

"_Spit it out, martyr," _That voice again.

"...S..."

Before the name left his lips, Barret suddenly yelled across the street, "Cloud! Tifa!"

Tifa turned and faced the man, standing in the open doorway of the bar "Not now, Barret!"

"Hell with that! You both need to come see this! Now!" Then disappeared inside.

A palm went to Tifa's forehead, and she heaved a sigh. She looked back up at Cloud, eyes partially narrowed, "This gets finished later, Cloud."

The male nodded, "Promise."

Tifa went first, with Cloud half a step behind her. He watched her walk from behind, the way her curves twisted and bounced in just the right places, the way her hips swung left and right as she walked. Cloud smacked himself across the cheek, wondering just what in the hell was wrong with him; why he was suddenly thinking such things.

"_Now I see the infatuation, Cloud," _Sephiroth said mentally, _"Lockhart truly is a fine piece of meat. In fact... I'm almost jealous," _Then began to laugh.

Cloud's heart dropped into his stomach, had the veil in his mind truly torn that much? That if his nemesis was now living in his mind, that he was now controlling Cloud's own thoughts? The thought scared him more than anything else.

Finally, both of them reached the other side of the street, stopping just in front of the entrance. The sun was set behind the actual building, the light making it impossible to see directly inside. Here, Tifa turned and faced Cloud yet again.

"I'm serious, Cloud. You and I aren't finished."

"I know, Tifa,"

The woman nodded, turned, and stepped through the open doorway. Then sharply gasped.

The entire main floor was, for lack of a better word, demolished. Every chair and table had been hacked to pieces, and splinters of wood littered the entire floor. Upon the bar top, a sharp blade had sliced clean cuts all down its entire length, and here still more chips of broken wood were abundant. On top of that, every piece of glassware had been shattered, with broken pieces of glasses of varying size coating the bar top, and the floor behind the bar. The lights had been ripped from the wall, the chandeliers torn down and broken and twisted into unrecognizable shapes. There were still more slashes in the walls and floor, and the back door separating the main floor from the kitchen had been yanked off its hinges. At the sight, Tifa's strength left her all over again, and she fell down onto her knees.

"Fucking hell!" Cid swore, booting aside a pile of glass and shattered wood, "Who the fuck did this?"

"Who the hell you think, foo'!" Barret yelled. In a rage, he slammed his graft hand down onto the bar, further caving in the solid wood.

Cloud stepped past Tifa, carefully surveying the damage done. Then his eyes fell on something in the center of the floor, and he stepped towards it, "I know exactly who did it."

Tifa remained on her knees, stone-faced silent, and tears welling in her eyes. If it wasn't one thing, it was always another!

"Yeah? Who!" Barret called across the floor.

Here, Cloud bent down, brushing aside debris and picking up two objects. They were thin, slightly curved blades, each one spray painted a separate color; one red, one pink. He turned towards Tifa, making sure that she saw the two scimitars. "It was those monsters who kidnapped you, Tifa. The Twin Blades."

"What and who the fuck are the Twin Blades?" Cid asked.

"Monsters, either creations or agents of the Brotherhood," Cloud went on, "Right before the rebels attacked Junon, these two came and kidnapped Tifa,"

"Why the hell would they do that?" Came Barret's voice.

Cloud turned and looked at the other male, "Why else? I guess they wanted to lure me away to kill me, or maybe just to keep us out of the fight."

Cid spat on the ground, "Well let's go string them fuckers up!"

"No," Tifa suddenly said, finding her strength again, and slowly standing.

"Tifa?" Cloud dropped the weapons and hurried back to her side.

She pushed him away when he tried to put his arms around her, "We won't find 'em, they're probably already hiding back at Fort Condor."

"Yeah," Barret put in, "Like a bunch of pansies afraid of a real fight!"

"So what do we do then?" Cid said.

"We fix this," Tifa went on, stepping inside the space and shutting the front door behind her, "and wait for Reeve to call."

Cloud decided he wasn't going to wait on that, and went towards the bar's phone. Here he discovered the receiver likewise smashed to bits, and instead removed his cellphone. Punching a single number, he held the piece to his ear. It rang many, many times, and so Cloud snapped the phone shut, and dialed the number again with the same results.

"I'm gonna check upstairs," He finally said, and moved towards the stairs. He had to brush aside loose nails and broken glass with each step, but soon enough he reached the top.

The first thing he noticed when he reached the top, was the bedroom to his left, once the children's bedroom but Yuffie had taken it over before the major battles started. Like the kitchen door downstairs, the door to this bedroom had been ripped from the hinges, and was now speared into the wall about three-quarters deep. The bed was cleaved in two, spare clothes and sheets and other such things scattered in shreds of confetti, and, also like downstairs, thin cuts from a blade in the walls and wood. Cloud turned, and walked across the way into his and Tifa's room. The bed was reduced to shreds, one dresser missing, and the windows all shattered. Stepping to Tifa's side of the bed, he reached down and picked up a photograph, bits of broken glass sliding away. It was the picture of himself and Tifa, he standing behind her, arms wrapped around her mid-section, both of them cheek to cheek. Her hands rested together on his arms, and both of them smiling like there was nothing wrong in the world. He smiled at that, wishing that things could be how they were when this picture was taken. That, at least in that one night when they lost each other to their passion, nothing was wrong in the world. Something _was_ wrong, however; he could have sworn Tifa kept _two_ pictures on her bedside table.

"_Cloud..."_

The blonde whirled around to face the doorway, and almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. Standing there, in a thin, flowing pink dress and matching ribbon in her hair, was Aerith.

"What are you..." He breathed.

"_I don't have much time, Cloud," _She said, hurriedly, _"He already knows I'm here,"_

"So you and Zack are really..."

"_Just listen, Cloud!" _Now her voice carried an air of panic, _"Your enemies aren't just on the outside, but inside as well."_

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cloud latched onto the information instantly.

"_Remember what the silver-haired man told you, war is based on deception," _Aerith answered, _"Don't let your guard down, Cloud. I'm afraid things are only going to get more hectic,"_

Cloud nodded, "I figured that."

Here, the apparition of the flower girl smiled a familiar smile, _"I tried to reach out to you, you know... when you came to the slum church and threw a gil into the pool?"_

Cloud nodded, remembering it very clearly. To him, it seemed that was what started all of this madness with his lucid dreams. "I remember. Why couldn't you?"

"_Because..."_

Just then, the misty shape of a long curved sword appeared behind the flower girl, and plunged through her back, protruding several feet out of her stomach. In response, Aerith's apparition shrieked in agony, then dissipated in a puff of white smoke and was gone. Behind where she stood, Sephiroth smirked, Masamune in hand, and his eyes glowing.

"_Because I would not let her,"_ He responded.

Cloud said nothing, but quickly turned his back to the door.

"_I have a surprise for you, Cloud... the sooner you fall asleep, the sooner you'll receive it,"_

In response, the blonde clamped his palms over his ears, but it did no good. That horrible voice, like strands of silk woven with spiked malice and hatred, reverberated in his mind.

"_Accept your fate, and prepare for a thousand lifetimes of agony the likes of which you could never comprehend!"_

After that, Cloud heard a _whoosh_ and felt a small blast of air behind him, and when he turned to look, Sephiroth was gone.

Back downstairs, the other three had no idea what had just transpired, and had instead tasked themselves with trying to clean the bar. Barret managed to find three heavy duty brooms that hadn't been broken, and so he and Cid were sweeping up the debris and trash. Tifa was behind the bar doing the same, though occasionally bent down to pick up a stray gil and placing them in a plastic cup. She discovered that the safe she kept behind the counter had been moved, and there were several dents and scratches upon it, but otherwise seemed unharmed. Checking its contents, everything was still there, though was obviously disheveled and tossed around. The clay pot that held her and Cloud's emergency money had obviously been shattered, several gil spilling out as soon as she had opened the safe.

_'Not surprising,'_ She thought to herself, _'they're not interested in our money, only our lives,'_

"Son of a bitch!"

Barret's roaring voice caught her attention, and she quickly stood back straight, fearing the worst, "What is it?"

"Look at this!" Barret responded, and stepped towards the bar, Cid close behind.

He threw down a photograph, Tifa and Cid bending down for a closer look. Tifa's voice left her, and she was unable to speak.

"Either I'ma kill those Twin Blade sons a bitches or the whole damn Brotherhood myself!" Barret fumed.

"No way in hell they could have..." Tifa heard Cid say, but slowly his voice faded away and all she heard was her own heart beat.

In the photograph, was herself, Cloud, and the two children, Marlene and Denzel. However, her and Cloud's faces had been scratched out, and two large thumbtacks had been pressed into the back of the photo so that, looking at the front, a silver spike jutted from each of the children's eyes. And on the back of the photo, someone had written in red marker "Forever young."


	27. Epilogue: Over the Edge, Over Again

**-Chapter 27-**

**Epilogue**

**Over the Edge, Over Again**

* * *

><p><em>Where do I take this pain of mine? I run, but it stays right by my side. So tear me open, pour me out, there's things inside that scream and shout. And the pain still hates me, so hold me until it sleeps.<em>

_Just like the curse, just like the stray. You feed it once, and now it stays. So tear me open, but beware, there's things inside without a care. And the dirt still stains me, so wash me until I'm clean._

_So tell me why you've chosen me; don't want your grip, don't want your greed. I'll tear me open, make you gone, no more can you hurt anyone. And the fear still shakes me, so hold me until it sleeps._

* * *

><p>Torches hung in braziers along the wall lit the hallway, every ten feet or so. A group of about six men plodded down the stone laden path, boots clunking and thumping, echoing down the hall.<p>

"So boss!" One man suddenly said, "how's it feel to be in charge now?"

Reij had not stopped grinning all day, and even had a spring in his step, despite his obvious limp, "Pretty damn good!" He cackled, "Be even better when all these morons realize I'm calling the shots now!"

As that was said, the group passed by a pair of sentries on guard duty, both of whom heard the light-haired man. They exchanged worried looks, but wisely didn't say a single word, trying to pretend they heard nothing.

Reij's hands were still caked with the blood of his former leader, and the adrenaline from that encounter still ran rampant in his body. Or perhaps it was the realization that his goals were at last coming to fruition. He looked towards the soldier on his right.

"Those contingencies in place?" He asked.

"Kyle's waiting in the throne room with the others," The soldier replied, "just waiting for your grand entrance!"

"Cross make it back yet?" Reij pressed.

"Aye sir, waiting along with the rest of 'em!"

"What about his pet, that big ugly fuck?"

"Also there,"

Reij considered this as the group marched along, wondering if the presence of Hammerhand would be a problem or not. The mutant could indeed easily smash aside anything and anyone he pleased, and the fact it was still alive after all the carnage showed it would be difficult to bring down.

"Should we be worried, sir?" Another nameless militant asked from the rear.

Reij laughed, "Of course not! Once Cross realizes what's what, he'll call off his pet. If he doesn't, his life will be that much more miserable!"

The others in the group had no idea what their new leader meant, but said nothing.

For several minutes the only sound was the clunking of boots on hard floor, and then the group turned right, to be faced with a large set of double doors. On the group's approach, the two guards on either side hastily reached out and pulled the doors apart. Reij never looked at either guard, but marched through the entryway with his entourage. The adjacent room was large and spacious, big enough to hold at least a hundred people; at the back of it was the familiar medieval-style throne.

As he entered the room, Reij threw his hands into the air and yelled, "Welcome to the new world order, assholes!" His voice echoed and reverberated several times in the space. Behind Reij, his entourage snickered.

"What the hell are you talking about, Reij?" A voice called from the back of the room, near the throne.

Reij signaled his men to stay put, and marched across the space toward the throne. Only when he was five paces away did he find the source of the voice: Edward Cross.

"Where is..." The Brotherhood general began.

Reij cackled, cutting him off. He never looked the man in the eye, and stood directly in front of the seat of power. Tenderly, he reached out and traced his fingers along the rigid design of one of the arm rests. The craftsmanship might have been admirable, if he cared about such things. The twisted wood and iron inlays formed multiple different patterns, and if one looked close enough, they could see JENOVA's head hidden among them. After a minute of this, he whirled around to face the rest of the room. There were perhaps thirty people assembled, some of them loyal to him, others were members of Edward's own personal guard. The first thing that caught his eye however, tucked into the furthest corner of the room, sat Hammerhand, watching him carefully.

"There's a new sheriff in town, boys!" Reij yelled, "And that sheriff is me!"

At this, the room was filled with murmurs and chattering. Reij ripped a pistol from his belt and fired a shot into the air. The bullet ricocheted off the ceiling and bounced around several times, everyone in the room ducking and covering their heads.

"Shut up, all of ya!" Reij snarled.

"Fuck off ya psycho!" A voice called from the back of the room, "I'll die and go to hell before I follow..."

Before that man could finish his sentence, one of Reij's men ran up behind him, and slit his throat.

Now, Edward stepped close to the other male, and in the corner Hammerhand rose menacingly. The others in the room quieted instantly, looking between the giant in the corner, and the two men by the throne.

"Where is our ruler?" Edward questioned, his face hardened.

Reij smirked, "He better be rotting in a cell until I waltz my happy ass over there to take his fuckin' head off!"

More murmurs and quieted conversation. Hammerhand made a soft sound, and even took a single step from his corner. _Thud!_

"Better get your toy under control," Reij threatened, "or you're gonna be pumped so full of lead you're gonna shit bullets!"

Edward didn't flinch, but he did take a single step backward. Hammerhand saw this and, as if understanding the thoughts of Edward, also stepped back. "What sort of game are you playing, Reij?" Edward asked.

"The one that involves me being the head cheese now, idiot!" The demolitions expert snorted.

Edward grinned then, taking another one, two, five steps away from the throne, "Didn't think this too clearly did ya?" Here he turned and faced the assembled crowd before him, "Brothers of the Planet! As suspected, this man," Here he paused just long enough to point at Reij, "is threatening to undo everything I and your leader worked and bled to accomplish! Seize him, and throw him in a cell."

The soldiers assembled began to stir, and began to advance towards the throne. A split second later, Reij hooked his thumb and index finger into his mouth, and blew a loud, shrill note.

After, the double doors flew open, armed soldiers quickly spilling into the room and fanning out so that all escape from that room became impossible. A moment later, the soldiers around the door parted, and a familiar face strode confidentially onto the main floor.

"Greetings, fellow Brotherhood!"

Edward stood dumbstruck, trying to process everything that was happening around him, "What the sh... what's the meaning of this, traitor?"

Tormuj grinned, daggers appearing in his hand in the blink of an eye, he twirling them around idly, "A new world order, sir Cross!"

"Hammerhand!" Edward suddenly yelled. At this, the mutant jumped to his feet, roared a deafening sound, and clenched it's giant fists.

"Ah ah!" Reij said. "Before you go doing something stupid... there's some things you might wanna know!"

Edward said nothing, but made a hand gesture to the giant mutant in the corner.

After, Reij laughed, "Remember when I said that silver-haired fuck was holding something over your head? I'm pretty sure I found it! The one, or... should I say two things keeping you in line?"

Edward never blinked, "What are you..."

Reij snapped his fingers then, and a soldier hastily ran up and handed him a small device; Reij clicked this device on, and beckoned the general closer. Keeping his guard up, Edward stepped close to investigate. For a few minutes, the screen showed nothing but snowy static, then Reij pressed another button and the image showed clearly. It appeared to be a security video feed, the picture black and white. It showed two chairs in a small square room, a single door in the back with a rectangle shaped window near the top.

"What the hell is this?" Edward growled.

"Oh, keep watchin'!" Reij snickered, "It's about to get good!" He then lifted his wrist close to his mouth, and said "Bring 'em in, boys!"

Just then, the video feed changed. The back door flew open, and a group of six people rushed in. Four of them were militants, Reij's own lackeys, and they lead two more forms forward, to shove them into the chairs. Both were bound with thick rope, and had sacks pulled down over theirheads. Reij clicked another button, and sound from the feed played through the device. Edward's heart began to beat so fast he was sure it would explode.

"Shut yer' damn mouth ya little shit!" One of the militants swore to the smaller of the two captives.

Again Reij pulled his wrist close to his mouth, "Whenever you're ready!"

One of the militants then removed a pistol from his belt, and held it to the smaller figure's head. Edward heard sobbing, from both of the captives. He snapped then, pulling his own pistol out and pressing it hard against Reij's skull, "Let them go, you maniac!"

"Ah ah ah!" Reij never stopped grinning, then spoke again into the microphone on his wrist, "Plan C, boys!"

Edward didn't see it, but he heard a gun hammer being drawn back from the video feed.

"Now, you best think reeeeeeeal carefully about your choices, Cross!" Reij sneered, "One, you kill me, they kill you AND your... friends there on the video."

"Let them go!" Edward yelled even louder, pushing the gun harder against the other man's skull.

"Two, you join the new order, find the two of them, run. We hunt you down and kill all three of ya anyway, for the inconvenience!"

Edward pulled the gun hammer back.

"Or three, you roll over like a whipped dog like you did for that silver-haired fuckhead, obey my orders, and help me kill everyone wearing a WRO uniform, and maybe after I let all three of ya go. Now... what's it gonna be, Cross?"

The assembled militants all held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. Doubt and uncertainty swirled in Edward's mind, how is it that Reij found them so fast? And he was so close... to freedom. Finally, he pushed the gun's hammer back into place, and tucked the gun away, then stepped backward a couple steps.

"Hah! Good choice, Cross!" Reij cackled. Then into the microphone, he said "Put 'em both back where ya found 'em, boys! We're full steam ahead now!" Then clicked the video feed off and tossed the device aside.

After, Reij took another few steps, turning to face the assembled room. The grin on his face spread even wider, as he slowly bent his knees and eased back onto the throne room. Once he was seated, many of the militants began to cheer and yell out his name, while others averted their eyes elsewhere. Edward looked absolutely shame-faced, and realized that in one swift moment, all of his own plans had been blown away. Hammerhand in the corner, clenched it's fists tightly, but otherwise remained completely motionless.

"So this is what it feels like to be really in charge! Ha ha ha ha! I love it!" Reij laughed.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Junon] ` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>What remained of the street lights lining the lower streets of Junon buzzed and hummed, the pale white light bathing the streets in a gentle glow. This side of Junon was far less hectic than the others, due to its proximity of being tucked further away from the fields. Up ahead, a 'mouth' was opened in the side of the mountain the seaside fort was built upon, and through there was the underground market district. Years ago, this section was once used as a barracks and weapons cache for the old ShinRa army; when Reeve and the WRO took control, it was cleaned out and instead used as the marketplace, and or fallout shelter in times of war. A portcullis was built around the open mouth, with steel and iron works crafted around and into the stone; up above, a gate hung half open some thirty feet in the air.<p>

Tara stopped in her tracks, some distance away from the open gate. All around her, her fellow WRO soldiers shuffled, scrambled, and limped this way and that. The occasional medic truck or armored Humvee would rumble by; some entering the lower levels, and some returning. On closer inspection of the medic trucks, many of them were loaded to the gills with wounded, though from what little of a glance she could catch, none who were critical or otherwise seriously harmed. Up ahead, what remained of the Junon fort itself hung menacingly over her, and she wondered more times than once if her (or everyone else's) life was in danger. That the remaining foundation would give away and they would all be crushed under the fortress, and tons of rock. However, they had all been reassured several times that everything on this side of the city was perfectly safe, and was mostly untouched by the Brotherhood.

The woman pulled back her jacket sleeve and checked her watch. It was less than three hours until dawn; she had to hurry. Just as quick, she put one foot in front of the other, and began to jog towards the entrance to the lower levels.

She was stopped five feet from the entrance by a fellow soldier. However, when his face became recognizable, she flinched.

"Tara?" The young man called, "Tara Norfolk is that you? Holy hell! You're alive!"

Tara flinched again, but managed a smile; no one else seemed to be paying him, any mind.

"Hi, Ed."

At that, the soldier named Ed grinned; he was much younger than she, twenty to her thirty-two years, but he always looked up to her as a mentor. Like her, he was a combat medic, and she had been one of his instructors during basic.

"What happened? After Fort Condor we all thought you were..."

"Dead, I know," Tara cut him off with a wave, "Well unless you think you're seeing ghosts, here I am in the flesh."

In truth, she had wanted to be away from there as quickly as possible. She had no time to waste.

"So what happened, Sergeant?" Ed asked after clearing his throat, returning to formalities with a hint of embarrassment.

"Afraid I don't have time to explain, and you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you."

But the younger man wouldn't budge, "Yeah? Try me!"

Her stern gaze sent him back a step, "Remember your rank, Private."

The other promptly saluted, "Yes ma'am!"

"Now, if you'll excuse me..." She then moved to walk past him.

"Wait!" Ed turned to face her again, "What about your sister?"

"That's where I'm going now. Do you know where she is?" Tara eyeballed the other soldier.

He thought about it for a moment, "Last I saw her, Private Norfolk was down by Paulie's Poultices."

"Thank you, Private." And yet again turned to leave.

"All due respect Sergeant Norfolk! You know you have to report to Commander Swars!"

Now Tara winced, and it showed. _That _caught the attention of several passerby, soldier and civilian. Fuming, but trying to keep her anger in check, turned once again and stood in front of the male.

"Now you listen to me, _private_," And she spat out the word, "I won't remind you again to remember your rank and just _who _it is you're speaking to." She paused just long enough to make sure she had his attention, and when he stood ramrod stiff, she continued.

"I'm more aware than you what has to be done, and I intend to do it," She lied, "Now, I suggest that you not speak of this again, or..." She paused again, and softened her tone, "...or I won't get you my sister's phone number." She knew this one always had an infatuation for her sister.

Ed's eyes, once completely serious now lit up in slight joy, but remembered to keep his composure. "You mean it, Sergeant Norfolk?"

Tara nodded, "I'll see what I can do, but only if you keep your trap shut!"

The male nodded, "Yes, ma'am!"

"Carry on," Tara returned the salute, then for the final time turned and hurried into the lower levels.

* * *

><p>Barely past the entrance of the market district, and the woman had at least three more encounters like the one with Ed. At this rate, she knew that she would never make the ship into the west, and her plans would be gone. After the fourth encounter, Tara could take it no longer, and ducked into a small alley between two shops. As she went, she stripped off her combat jacket and red cover, signifying her as a medic and WRO soldier, tossing them into a dumpster. Left in only a stained white tank-top and white combat bottoms and boots, she devised another strategy. She squatted down between two dumpsters, well out of sight from anyone, and pulled out her trusty survival knife.<p>

Her free hand then reached up and gently tugged on a thick lock of her brown hair, and for a moment a pang of guilt shot through her. She and her sister had the exact same hair, which they inherited from their now deceased mother, of whom she remembered clearly. She had beautiful brown hair, and had not cut it for so many years that it hung down past her waist. As young girls, she and her sister had sworn that their hair would be that long one day. But with her long hair and green eyes, everyone was sure to recognize her. Another thought crossed her mind then. She had been through a lot, especially with the two Turks, but that was possibly the old Tara Norfolk. She felt much different for some reason, here on the advent of yet another new adventure. She gripped the lock of hair tighter.

"I'm sorry, mom," She whispered.

Thick strands and fistfulls of brown hair fell like stringy confetti on the cold and wet ground, tiny stray hairs clinging to her arms, hands, and pant legs. She hacked and she sliced, taking careful aim and trying to remember exactly at what length she cut and where. Once she was satisfied her work was done, she stood up, sliding the knife back into her belt. Across from her was an abandoned building, the mirror a reflective surface. She stepped closer. And hardly recognized herself.

Her hair now was cut well above her throat line, the tips barely stopped above her cheek bonesand ear lobes, and (Tara noted with a small hint of pride at her accuracy,) was the same length all the way around. And in the front, her bangs were sliced to hang a quarter inch above her eyes.

"This is the new you," She said aloud, but she wasn't entirely sure why.

She sucked in a deep breath, nodded to her reflection, then turned and left the alley. She checked her watch again. One hour and a half until sunrise.

* * *

><p>After slicing her hair off, no one had given her more than a second look, much to her relief. In the underground district, the air was clammy and wet, small pools of murky water scattered across the faded concrete ground. Tara had never been claustrophobic, but now for some reason that all changed. Looking up, the ceiling was barely a hundred feet above her, and the thought of all the tons of rock looming overhead was unsettling. She shook off those feelings, and continued to jog along. The neon signs of the various shops lit up the cave on both sides, and she looked left and right for the appropriate one. Finally, she halted, and stopped a passing soldier.<p>

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Paulie's Poultices," She asked with a modest smile,

The soldier nodded, turned, and pointed further down the line, "About six more shops down on the left, bright green and red, can't miss it!"

"Thank you," And darted away again.

Once the sign of the potion shop was in sight, she stopped another soldier, "Pardon, but I'm looking for Private First Class Trinity Norfolk?"

"What's your business with her?" The female soldier asked.

Tara froze for a moment, and quickly tried to devise a clever lie, "Civilian volunteer messenger, orders from Commander Swars!" She then hoped the lie, and her tone was convincing enough.

And it was, the female soldier shrugging, as if annoyed, "Johnny's Edge, next shop down."

"Thanks!"

She then slid slowly into the shop called _Johnny's Edge_, a weapon's shop. Blades of different types and sizes hung from leather chords around the entrance, the entire outside and inside of the shop lit up in bright red and orange neon light. Tara hesitated once she took three steps inside, and scanned the customers within. Just then, a scrawny twenty-something with a tall neon green mohawk stepped towards her; despite the darkness, he wore dark sunglasses.

"Hiya, cutie!" The man said with a grin, "What can I do ya for?"

"Looking for somebody," Tara said bluntly.

"Interest ya in a weapon? Got everything from squirt guns to rocket launchers!"

"No, thanks."

"How about..." He continued, but was cut off.

"Look, please just get away from me. Even if I had any money I wouldn't buy from this shady place!" Tara snapped.

"Damn... tres harsh! Have it your way!"

Only then did Tara catch a glimpse of her sister, exiting through the other side of the shop. She moved quickly, shuffling through the crowd until she was ahead of the other woman. Turning to her left, she ducked down a side alley, and called to her.

"Psst! Trinity Norfolk!"

Trinity turned in that direction, looking suspicious.

Tara kept half her face hidden around the corner, and beckoned the other close, "A message... from your sister." Then ducked around the corner.

And Trinity came a split second later, as expected, Tara having turned her back.

"What message?" Trinity asked, impatient, "She's alive?"

Tara forced herself to smile, then slowly turned around to face her sister, "Alive... and in the flesh, Trin." She deciding to use her sister's shortened name that only _she _was allowed to call her.

A look of shock crossed the other woman's face, and she was soon frozen in place, "Tara...? Is it...?"

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you, Trin."

In a split second the two were locked in a tight embrace, "Damn it, Tara! I thought you were dead!"

Tara felt a tear well in her eye, "For a while there I thought I was going to be,"

Only then did the two draw away from each other, "So what happened? Everyone just knew that you were dead! Even Marcus!"

Now a tear did fall down Tara's cheek, and she didn't try to hide it, "How is Marcus?"

"Beaten half to death, obviously! Oh, imagine the look on his face when he finds out you're alive!" Trinity beamed.

"And Rose...?"

"Stubborn, just like her mama!" Trinity giggled, "But perfectly healthy."

Tara nodded, "Listen Trinity, I can't explain everything, but... I need you to do me a couple favors,"

"Sure, anything sis! What is it?"

Without hesitation, Tara simply said, "I'm leaving again!"

Now her sister looked as though someone struck her, "Wait, what? No! You can't! You just got back and..."

Tara pulled her sister close by the arm, and stared into the other's eyes that so matched her own, "The _Garland _is leaving in less than an hour, and I need to be on it, Trin. I wish I could give you all of the details, but I have no time. I need for you to get a message to my husband, and I need a new pistol, maybe a compact machine gun... and as much ammo as I can carry."

"But..." Trinity began.

"Focus, Trin! I'm leaving with Vincent Valentine, traveling to Wutai to bring them into the fight. And there's another... personal matter I need to see about. A friend is in danger, and I have to help her however I can! I'm sorry to do this to you... show up, only to leave again... but you're the only one who can help me, sis."

Trinity's own eyes began to swell with tears, but she managed to keep them at bay, "Can't I at least come with you?"

Tara shook her head, "The only reason I'm able to get away, is everyone thinks I'm dead, which... I would rather it stay that way, at least for now. You know Swars isn't going to let you up and leave."

"Then I'll leave anyway!"

"No you won't, because I won't let you! You're a good soldier, Trin, and an even better medic... better even than me. I need you to trust me, please."

The other woman considered the words, sighing in defeat, "You're the older sister, and I could never argue with you. What should I tell Marcus?"

"That I'm obviously alive and well, and... just tell him the truth. Tell him I'm sorry I couldn't see him before I left, but I wasn't given very much time." Here, Tara pulled the locket around her neck out, opened it, and showed it to her sister, "And you can tell him I still have this. So I'll always have you, him, and my daughter with me."

Trinity smiled, "I'll let him know... wait here, I'll get your things." Then turned, and walked away.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, she returned, panting, sweaty, and carrying a backpack which she promptly threw at Tara's feet, "Moved as quick as I could, sis! I think this is all you'll need!"<p>

Tara bent down, unzipped the backpack, and quickly rummaged through it. There she found not one but two pistols, more magazines for them than she could count, and a compact machine gun, and twice as many magazines for that than there were pistol rounds! A small brown sack was here as well, filled with healing salves, potions, and medial bandages and tape.

"How did you pay for all this?" Tara asked, standing up and slinging the pack over her shoulder after zipping it up.

Trinity winked, "Johnny's always had a thing for me, and Paulie owes me a few favors,"

Tara smiled, "Come on, I need to get on that ship."

The duo hurried across the steel pier to where the battleship _Garland _was docked, boots clinking and clanging as they ran. Sailors, soldiers, and civilians alike walked this way and that, some hurrying to the ship and others disembarking to attend new duties. At least, the ship came into sight, and they stopped at the lowered gangplank leading up to the main deck. Right then, the speaker system for the ship crackled and popped.

"_Ten minutes to departure! All crews prepare to set sail!" _The first mate's voice said.

"Right... time to go, I guess," Tara said meekly, turning to face her sister.

And was instantly bear-hugged by her, "Gods almighty, I wish I could go with you!"

Tara smiled, and returned the hug, "Hey now, I'm comin' back!"

"You better! Or I'll find a way to bring you back and I'll kill you myself!" Trinity giggled.

"I love you, Trin," Tara said, kissing her sister on the cheek, "Try and lay it on Marcus easy, and here... give him this. I wrote it while you were gone getting the weapons and such," And handed the other woman a sealed envelope.

"I will," Trinity replied, stuffing the envelope into her jacket, then hugged her sister again, "I love ya, Tara. See you on the other side?"

"Always!" She responded, then turned and trudged up the gangplank.

That single walk seemed to stretch on for miles, each step seeming to weigh more than the other. For truly it broke the woman's heart to reveal herself to her only living blood, only to turn around and yank herself away again. But she held onto the hope that she would indeed see her sister again, just as she would see Edge, and the Turks Reno and Rude again. They had promised to catch up... maybe they would meet again sooner than expected. As she stepped onto the main deck of the _Garland_, she turned to look at her sister, still standing on the pier. She waved a final time, blew a kiss, then turned and walked further down the deck. Right then, a loud horn pierced the semi-silence, which startled her.

"_Raise anchor and away we go!" _A voice called over the speakers.

Then a _clang _and a _screech_ later, the gangplank was raised, the activity on the deck suddenly becoming more hectic as the crews rushed to their appropriate stations. Tara ducked between two raised platforms to escape the sudden rush, and only then did she stop a pseudo-familiar sight... a tattered red cloak. She walked that way, finding the man standing at the very front of the ship.

Vincent never so much as looked at the woman as she stepped beside him, "Didn't think you'd make it," He said simply.

"Told you I was coming, didn't I?" She replied.

He simply huffed in response.

"So... what's the plan here... Vincent, right?"

"Don't be so quick to throw yourself into the fire,"

"I'll throw myself into an inferno if it means saving Yuffie!" Tara shot back.

"Admirable," He replied, "but perhaps foolhardy."

"What are you..."

Again a loud horn blared, cutting her off. Beneath her feet, Tara felt the ship move, and lurch forward. To her left and right, the deck was lined with people waving goodbye to their loved ones on the pier below, but when she herself ran to check, found her sister already gone. Instead, she returned to the front of the ship, sucking in a deep breath of salty pre-dawn air. The wind whipped past her hair, and she felt a new surge of energy and excitement.

"Any idea how we're gonna find Yuffie?" Tara asked, her eyes set on the horizon.

But when she turned around, Vincent had since stepped away, and she caught sight of him walking towards the rear of the ship. She raised an eyebrow, shrugged, then turned back to face the horizon.

Now began a second adventure.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Edge City; Seventh Heaven] ` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>Thin beams of sunlight streamed in through the windows, to fall upon the woman's face directly upon her eyes. She stirred, placed a palm over her closed eyelids, and moaned a soft sound. This had seemed like perhaps the tenth time in the night that she had woken, only to roll over to her opposite side and attempt to fall back asleep. Each passing battle seemed to strip a little bit more of her ability to sleep, not the least of which being the horrible nightmares that she had. She lay there for several long minutes, hoping to lull herself away back to sleep. When it was apparent that it would not happen, she sighed, and slowly sat up.<p>

Tifa glanced around the room, Cloud laying directly next to her, rolled over to face the opposite direction. Between her, her lover, Cid and Barret, they had worked well into the night and slightly into the early hours to get the bar was cleaned as they possibly could; but of course there was still a lot of work to be done. Slowly, she eased herself to the foot of the bed, placing her bare feet on the floor, and stood up, tugging her nightgown back down into the appropriate places. She then turned and moved towards the adjacent window.

Cloud had made a point to at least replace all of the shattered windows, in order to keep the elements out, and he worked harder than all the rest of them. Here, the woman parted the curtains to let in a bright blast of sunshine, and she momentarily turned away, shielding her eyes. Behind her, she heard Cloud mumble an incoherent protest, rolled over to face the wall, and was soon asleep again. Tifa watched this with a loving smile, then looked back out the window. Below, the city was no more busier than it normally had been since the mess all started. Puffy white clouds lazily drifted by, and the sky was a modest shade of blue. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to fully enjoy the view, or even the no doubt pleasant weather.

Before she could register another thought, a sudden nauseous feeling overtook her, and she slapped a palm over her mouth, retching once. Pangs lanced around her midsection and even down her thighs, and the sensation only grew. She quickly flung open the door of her and Cloud's bedroom, padding down the hallway into the bathroom down the hall and slamming the door shut behind her. She hit her knees a moment too soon, and whatever was on her stomach was emptied into the toilet. The taste of bile hit her tongue, which only made her retch up more. She coughed, hacked, spat, and vomited for what seemed like hours, though was closer to ten minutes. She spat a final time, certain it was over, then flushed, falling backwards onto her rear, back and head slumping against the wall. She sat there, her strength drained temporarily, eyes watery, tried to figure out just what that was all about! It took only another second for a thought to hit her, and she managed a small gasp. She looked down at her stomach, lifting her gown up to expose the flesh, free hand resting upon it.

And wondered.

She stood up then, thinking she was being too hasty and that perhaps she was coming down with a virus, or something similar. She stepped out of the bathroom, looking to her left. Barret had taken up residence in the spare bedroom, he sprawled out on the replacement bed bed and snoring so loud it was a wonder every one else was still asleep. She did giggle quietly, then shuffled back to her and Cloud's room. As she threw off the nightgown, she noted that Cloud was also still passed out. She felt angry then, if only briefly; surely she wasn't quiet as a mouse, what from slamming doors and vomitting! What if something had been seriously wrong? What if she had been _dying_? Would they all sleep right through it.

She calmed herself then and set about getting dressed. She slipped a white tank-top over her head once she snapped her bra into place, sliding into a pair of matching plain white silky pajama pants. She checked herself quickly in the mirror, running a plastic comb through her hair, before exiting the room and heading down the stairs to the main floor.

Here, there were still scuff marks and slices and cuts in the walls, on the bar, and on the floorboard. Much of the loose debris and trash had been collected, bagged, and thrown out back to be collected. Tifa stopped on the final step, and glanced around; the place looked nothing like how she had originally left it. A sense of deja vu came to her, in that once again the enemy had violated her home; the one place that was supposed to be safer than anywhere else. This time, however, instead of feeling sad she scoffed. Did they expect to break her down mentally by violating her own home? First the cowards nearly raped her, now their pet monsters run away only to break a few glasses and tables! No, to the woman, this was a sort of broken record, and it was getting old fast. The bar would be rebuilt, her spirit would not be broken, and most importantly, the ones responsible would pay for it.

It was here that she discovered Cid, passed out upon the bar, laying on his stomach and an empty bottle of whiskey clutched in his right fist. She moved silently behind the bar, reached out with both hands, and shoved him off of the bar.

The resulting _thump _was rather loud, and Cid shot up in an instant, turning in a circle and swinging his arms wildly, "Who's the slimy twinkle toed cocksucker want some o' me huh!" He half yelled, half slurred.

His eyes fell on Tifa's stern gaze and crossed arms. The bottle left his hand and landed with a clunk on the hard floor, "Shit... sorry Tifa!"

"And WHY were you sleeping on my bar?" She asked.

"Eh heh heh... yeah about that!" Cid began, rubbing his temples, "Fuckin' hell... my head's killin' me!"

"Serves ya' right," Tifa said without a shred of pity, "Sit down, I'll see if I can make some tea."

After rummaging through a still highly disorganized kitchen, Tifa did managed to find the appropriate utensils and such to brew a pot of tea. She dabbed a small amount of honey into it, then returned to the bar to find Cid still slumped over the bar. She offered him a steaming mug, taking a very small sip of her own.

"Sit down and drink your...G-D tea!" Tifa giggled.

Cid managed a smirk and a laugh, but it was very brief, due to his massive headache. "Hey, thanks Tifa!" And took a sip of his own.

"You owe me at least two-hundred gil by the way," Tifa remarked.

"What!"

"For the bottle you drank," Tifa went on, "probably more if you're really as hungover as you claim,"

"Aw, hell... I'll pay ya back somehow! Scout's honor!"

Tifa only smiled at that and decided to let it go for the moment. Instead, she looked down into her cup of tea, idly circling her pinky finger around the rim and then watching as the liquid slowly swirled around. "Cid, I need to ask you something."

The pilot took a long swig of his tea, making a satisfying _ahh_ sound after, "Sure thing! What's up?"

The female thought about it for a moment, "Have you noticed anything... strange about Cloud lately?"

Cid shrugged, "Aside from him passing out after the Junon fight? Not really."

Tifa assumed as much, but nevertheless went on, "So he hasn't talked to you about anything?"

Here, Cid raised an eyebrow, "Like what?"

"Anything that might seem out of the ordinary?"

Once again Cid shrugged, "He hasn't said much since I got here! Why?"

Tifa recounted then, when Vincent first told her of Cloud's supposed freakish nightmares. He hadn't been specific, but it seemed that these nightmares involved an old nemesis; namely, Sephiroth. She then thought back to the previous day, when she had attempted to confront Cloud about it.

"_It's him... it's... S..." _He had said.

That single syllable and letter struck her in the face then. Could it have been Sephiroth that Cloud was implying, she wondered? And even if it were, why would that matter? Tifa then brushed it off for the moment, thinking that the blonde's old memories resurfaced, what with the Brotherhood threat. It was better to not jump to conclusions until she could get the truth out of Cloud... forcefully, if needed.

"Tifa?"

The brunette faked a smile, "Nevermind. Cloud and Barret are still asleep. You wanna help me fix breakfast?"

Cid knocked back the rest of his tea, then stood up, "I ain't much of a cook, but sure!"

Upstairs, meanwhile, something was amiss...

* * *

><p><em>At first, there was only darkness, and dead silence, and it seemed that all light and life had faded from the world. However, every so often his vision would return for just a second, but that did little to ease his mind. When his vision returned, he saw nothing but red, as if a red screen had been pulled over his eyes. He caught quick glimpses of torn bodies being ravaged by monsters, the innocent's innards being ripped apart and consumed by the fangs of an evil beast. His vision would fade then, only to return to reveal men and women killing each other... eating each other. Normal people carving each other into thick slices of meat as though they were a cooked pig. As his vision faded in and out, so too did his hearing, and all he could hear were screams, but not a single scream. When he saw people torn to shred by monsters, people eating each other, entire cities on fire, it was closer to a million screams, all crying out at once.<em>

_Despite the sense of nothingness, he knew that he was somehow physically... somewhere. He twitched where his arms normally would be and felt... something. Next his legs, again the slight tingle of a familiar sensation, yet he could not move. Again his sight flashed, and this time he caught a glimpse of some... thing... some shadow with a large blade, cutting into his own flesh. Before he could register what was about to happen, again his vision faded to black; and yet a moment later he felt the burning slice of the blade across his ribs. When he cried out in pain, there was no sound, there was nothing in his world but darkness. He could not see, could not hear, but he felt every single inch of flesh that the edged weapon carved from his body, and he squirmed and struggled to be away. When the hidden blade continued to carve, this time sliding down to his thigh to sever a tendon, he thrashed, kicked, did everything he could to be away._

_Only then did his vision flash to blinding white, and slowly everything became clear. Cloud panted and gasped several times, before he managed the strength to slowly look around him._

_In this world, there was nothing but blood, running in rivulets and waterfalls, gushing and spilling everywhere. What wasn't blood that he could make out, everything else in the world was a paler shade of red, almost pink. Up, down, left, right, it was nothing but a swirling vortex of blood and agonized screams. Unlike before, he soon discovered that he couldn't cover his ears to drown them out. Again he attempted to move his arms and legs, but none would budge. It was here, though, he caught another sound, faint as it was when compared to the chorus of screams. It was the sound of chains rattling._

_Now Cloud collected himself as much as he could, and looked more closely at his legs. There, he discovered two thick meat hooks were stabbed and hooked around each of his legs, one of each piercing his upper thighs, and the other two stabbing through his ankles. The chains that were attached to the hooks seemed to stretch on and on forever, with no end. He panicked, next looking to his shoulders. He discovered a similar thing, with one thick metal barb stabbed into each of his shoulder blades, and still two more in his ribs. The thick metal chains had no end in this hellish world._

"_Help!" Cloud managed to call out. "Somebody please! Tifa! Cid!" Never had he called for help, but right then he felt more helpless than he ever had._

"_**HEEEEELP!**"_

_His voice echoed off into nothing several times, but there came no response. On closer inspection of his midsection, Cloud discovered that almost his entire stomach and sides had been stripped away, the flesh gone and revealing the meat and bones of his ribcage beneath. He panicked then, which only caused a greater surge of his own blood to gush out and join the swirls of red crimson around him._

"_I told you I had a surprise for you, didn't I?" A familiar voice echoed back to him._

_Before Cloud could acknowledge the voice, the whole world went white and he felt himself falling, falling, falling... until he felt himself coming to an abrupt halt, and slowly his vision returned. He was laid down on his back, the sky overhead filled with gray and black clouds. Slowly, his senses returned, until he realized he had full control of his limbs. Here, Cloud stood up as quick as his weary body would allow, and looked around. Here was only a dry and ruined landscape, the ground brown and cracked, wide fissures here and there. Out in the distance was an obviously ruined cityscape, the once tall and proud buildings now shattered and broken, rusted shells of their former glory._

"_What in the actual hell..." He said aloud as he took a single step; like before, his voice carried off into nothing._

_Then the entire world seemed to shake, and Cloud went on guard. He heard a noise, like a large boulder barreling towards him and whipped around. Far out in the distance there came a bright flash of light, followed by a large mushroom cloud rising into the sky. Yet the cloud never reached him, and instead rose higher and higher into the sky, until it suddenly burst in a shower of sparks and... black feathers. Then a second thunderous boom followed, and on the horizon there rose a thick shadow of some... thing. Up and up it went, Cloud thinking that it would keep going on until the end could no longer be seen. But finally it halted, the entire ground and this world itself now shaking and rattling harder than before._

"_Welcome... to your new nightmare," A celestial voice boomed, which only shook the ground harder._

_Then the black shadow, the sparks, and the mushroom cloud suddenly burst apart, sending bright flashes of light across the sky. The apparition before Cloud was ridiculously, celestially **gargantuan**, the head poking out well above the low hanging clouds, and the outstretched arms reaching from horizon to horizon. Cloud could do nothing but fall back onto his rump, frozen in shock... and terror._

"_There are no gods... only me!" the behemoth Sephiroth boomed._

_Cloud barely had time to register his next thought, when something solid struck the back of his head with a sickening **clunk**! He fell forward, rolling and his head still racing. He found his feet and whirled around, the Fusion Sword materializing into his waiting hands. There, across the cracked landscape, Aerith stood with a steel staff, one end drenched in fresh blood. Instantly Cloud lowered his weapon._

"_Aerith?"_

_But something was wrong, her eyes were the familiar shade of green, but they were devoid of any emotion. They were simply... dead. Her mouth was set in a firm flat line, fingers idly twirling the double-headed staff around._

"_How quickly the puppet forgets," Again the booming voice called out._

_Cloud again turned to face the gargantuan apparition, it raising the right hand which soon was wrapped in thick black mist. From Sephiroth's fingers, a curved blade resembling the Masamune extended, Sephiroth twiddling the new razor fingers, steel scraping steel in a horrible, deafening sound._

"_You are a puppet... and here, you are **my **puppet!"_

_Then in a flash, the behemoth Sephiroth threw out his left hand, and from it flew five thick red chords, the very ends shaping into barbs. One dug deep into each of Cloud's four limbs, the fifth hooking into the back of his neck. On closer inspection, the chords were actually something akin to a human tendon! The thick lines were bloody, dripping crimson and some other unknown gooey substance._

"_And a puppet does as it is ordered!"_

_Then Cloud lost all control of his body._

_Aerith lunged right then, swinging one end of her staff to take Cloud's head off. Sephiroth twitched his left pinky, and Cloud felt himself jerk away, swinging the Fusion Sword in retaliation. Metal struck metal with a clang and shower of sparks, Cloud fighting to somehow regain control of his body. But it did no good, the mind-controlling tendons sunk into his skin were his puppet strings. Aerith charged again, her left fist glowing a faint white light. She extended that hand then, and Cloud was blasted with a powerful beam of white energy, the force throwing him backward several feet and almost down into a fissure._

"_Aerith, stop! It's me!" Cloud tried in vain to call out; it was the only thing he had control over._

"_You let me die, Cloud. Now I'm going to return the favor." Aerith rasped._

"_Let's make this more interesting." Sephiroth said._

_In that moment, Cloud's weapon dissolved like a piece of melted wax from his hand and fell away. Aerith's staff likewise melted and fell away, but the flower girl charged a moment later. Cloud, unable to move, braced himself, just as the female slammed into him with the force of a wrecking ball. She straddled him now, and began to punch him in the face, first with her left fist, and then following up with her right. Despite her small frame and thin arms, the force of the strikes were like those of a grown and well built man. Over and over she punched him, his bottom lip splitting and blood pouring out from his mouth._

"_It's okay Aerith... I'm here," Cloud gasped out between strikes._

_Left hook, right hook, left hook, right hook, on and on she punched him,her eyes and face devoid of any emotion._

"_You can..." Left hook, "...fight him..." Right hook, "...Aerith...!" Left hook. Then he spat out a half-broken tooth._

_Finally, she yanked him up bu the collar, pulling their faces an inch apart, "You know nothing, Cloud Strife." Then sucker-punched him in the nose, shattering it, and sending the male back to the ground._

_Despite his watered eyes and injures, Cloud hacked up another wad of blood, his entire face riddled with cuts and gashes. "I'm not gonna... leave... you..."_

"_Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Sephiroth's booming laugh shook the entire ground, "Even in death she resents you, Cloud."_

"_No..." Cloud rasped,"It's... you..." And weakly raised his right hand, index finger pointing directly at the monstrous visage before him. Aerith had since stood back up and backed away a few steps._

"_Look around you, Cloud," Sephiroth went on, "**This** is what the world will soon be reduced to. And do you know who's fault it shall be?"_

_Cloud gasped, wheezed, and coughed, trying to find his voice, but it would never come. Every attempt came out as little more than a half-choked croak._

"_That's right," Sephiroth said, "yours and only yours. What hope do you have left, Cloud?" Here, he swept the titanic razor fingers across the sky, cleaving several lines of thick clouds, "Either you will be killed by the pretender, or the veil in your mind will shatter. All roads lead to where you are now."_

"_What..." Cloud choked._

"_You are mine, now and forever. You'll never escape me, never be rid of me. And you will be the reason for my return... just like last time."_

"_Never..."_

"_This is only the beginning," Sephiroth finished, before driving the behemoth claws towards Cloud. They dug deep into him, easily cleaving him in two..._

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><p>Cloud instantly shot straight up into a sitting position, a sharp intake of breath bringing him back to reality. His hair was matted and out of place, coated in sweat from head to heal, and... sitting on the floor. He blinked his eyes several times, even pinched himself so hard he drew blood to reassure himself that he was back in reality. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart beating faster than he could keep up with, and he let himself fall back flat onto the floor.<p>

"I'd rather go back to when I thought the biggest problem was Aerith's memory," Cloud said aloud to the empty room.

He lay there for a while, then slowly sat up when he remembered something. Checking his body, there were indeed black bruises on his arms, legs, and around his stomach where the intruding barbs in the dream had been. Feeling the back of his neck, there he felt a deep and no doubt ugly welt from the fifth barb. He became afraid then, and hesitantly, slowly, ran his tongue across his teeth, top and then bottom. He heaved a sigh when he felt all of them in place, then slowly stood up. However, his knees trembled, buckled, and he fell right back down with a loud thump. Defeated by his own body, he sat there, staring at his scarred and calloused hands.

"What am I supposed to do..." Again he said aloud.

So far, his nemesis, or Aerith, hadn't been wrong about anything that was said. She said everything was about to change, so long ago it seemed. Sephiroth said that the battles were barely out of the beginning stages. And now, Aerith had tried to tell him that there were enemies on the inside, as well the outside! Doubt and suspicion roiled over his mind then, thinking that perhaps there was an ally who was secretly working with the enemy? Instantly, his mind went to Rufus Shinra, and recalled all those times the man had lied to him. Tifa had once argued that maybe it wasn't intentional, and he was withholding information for a reason or another. To Cloud, there was no gray area; a lie was a lie, was a lie.

"But why would he help the Brotherhood?" He wondered out loud.

Surely, if Reeve had even a slight suspicion that Rufus was a threat, there would be no more Rufus. Maybe the ex-president was a master at covering his tracks, or using someone else to do his dirty work. Tseng, maybe? Cloud shook his head, deciding that maybe he was over thinking things. If there was a threat on the inside, then... it could be anyone. Then his mind trailed to the final thing Sephiroth had said... that all roads lead to that hellish dreamscape. That no matter what he did, how hard he fought, how many lives he saved... he was damned. Condemned, with nothing to look forward to except the constant torture, and constant battling with the ghosts of his past.

"No... I don't believe it,"

He couldn't truly believe that his life would only lead to a lifetime in hell with only his nemesis for company. What then would even be the point in living? All the happiness he and Tifa had, all of their friends and allies... living a full life, only to be ripped apart, over and over again simply for entertainment? No, there had to be _something_ that could be done... but what?

Just then, the door to the room opened, and Tifa stuck her head in, "Cloud? I heard a noise downstairs. Are you okay? And... why are you in the floor?"

Cloud looked up, tried to smile, and found that he couldn't. "Hey, Tifa... I'm fine, just another bad dream."

Tifa pushed the door open just a little further, sticking a single bare foot across the threshold, "Was it Sephiroth?" She asked quietly; even he barely heard her.

Now Cloud looked a little surprised, "How did you..."

She held up a hand to silence him, "Right now that doesn't matter, Cloud."

He beckoned her closer, "Come in and shut the door. I'll explain..."

"It's gonna have to wait now," She said in a snappy, impatient tone, "That redheaded Turk... Lysa? Just called, Rufus and Reeve want us at the Tower."

Cloud groaned, but nevertheless stood up; behind Tifa, he saw Barret walk past, rubbing sleep from his eyes, "Mornin' Spikey!" He yawned.

"Morning," Cloud nodded. "How are the kids?"

The night of their return, the group had discovered not only the wrecked bar, but also a morbid photograph of the children, leading all to assume the Brotherhood had somehow gotten to them. Barret had spent the entire night trying to reach Reeve's friend, owner of the villa in Costa del Sol and temporary guardian to the kids.

Barret rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Reeve's buddy says they're all right; nothing weird been goin' on over there yet."

"Lucky for the Brotherhood," Cloud said sarcastically.

"Cid and I cooked breakfast," Tifa said to the both of them, "It's not much, but its hot. We can all eat first before we leave,"

"Yeah, highlight of my damn day!" Barret snorted, "Bein' called by Shinra!" Then descended the stairs.

"Barret and Cid already knew?" Cloud asked.

"Just woke Barret up and told him; Lysa called not even ten minutes ago," Tifa responded.

"Right, well... I'll get dressed, be down in a minute," Then walked towards his dresser.

"Hey..." Tifa stopped him, stepping closer and touching the welt on the back of his neck, then the marks on his arms, "these weren't here yesterday. Cloud, did you do this to yourself?"

He fished out clean clothes, and began to change once he booted the door shut, "It's one of the things I wanted to talk to ya about, Tifa. But no, I didn't do it myself."

"Then who, how? Did you and Cid get into a drunken fight or something?"

"No time to lay out the details, Tifa," Cloud said, zipping up his vest in the front, "and I'd rather lay it all bare, not just bits and pieces when we're about to run out the door."

Tifa bristled then, "You promised me that you..."

"And I will," Cloud cut her off, reaching out to touch her cheek.

She drew away and took a step back, "Don't. Not now."

For some reason, that agitated Cloud, "What's wrong with you?"

In an instant she walked past him, towards her own dresser, and began to pull out fresh clothes, "You can wait with the other guys downstairs; I already ate."

He took a step towards her, "Hey, why are you acting like this?"

The look that Tifa gave the male stopped him in his tracks, "No time to lay out the details, remember?"

"But..."

"Oh, would you please just get out Cloud!" She yelled a little louder than intended.

His heart skipped a beat, but rather than open his mouth, Cloud only nodded. He turned away, picking up his boots as he passed them, stepped out, and pulled the door shut behind him.

As soon as the door shut, Tifa dropped her clothes upon the floor and fell back onto the bed, tears welling in her eyes and quickly streaming down her face. She choked back her sobs, so that no one would be able to hear her. The feeling had rushed over her so suddenly, that it took her a few minutes before she could register that she was crying. She scrubbed the tears off her face, looking down at her now moist hands and suddenly hating every tear. She couldn't begin to guess what was wrong with her, or where that came from. Just as with her vomiting episode earlier that morning, it came from nowhere. And that's what scared her.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

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><p><em>~ ` ` ` [World Regenesis Order Tower] ` ` ` ~<em>

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><p>The elevator dinged, and the four companions slowly filed out one at a time, Cloud first, followed by Cid, Barret, and Tifa. None of them had said a word since leaving the bar, and neither Cloud nor Tifa would look each other in the eye. Obviously, Cid and Barret had questioned this, but only hit a proverbial brick wall. The room opened up to a too familiar sight, a receptionist's desk right in front of them, the wall behind that a large window overlooking all of Edge, and a door to the left and right. Behind the desk, sat Lysa; she beckoned them closer.<p>

"Never a dull moment, eh Strife?" The female Turk said.

Cloud merely walked by her, headed for the door on the right, the other three following. And were immediately accosted by a team of six WRO marines.

"Yo, what's the big idea!" Barret said.

Lysa stood up and stepped closer, "Afraid you're all gonna have to give up your weapons,"

"Says who?" Cid spat.

"Says President Tuesti and Rufus," Lysa snarked back.

"Does Reeve think we're going to turn on him or something?" Cloud asked.

"Just following orders, sir," One of the marines threw in.

"Just do it already, boys," Tifa grumbled, slowly reaching into her pant pocket and removing her special electric-charged gloves.

Cid unhooked his spear from his back, looked at it as though a parent to a child, then reluctantly handed it over to one of the soldiers. Cloud likewise unstrapped the holsters that held his own weapon from around his chest, and propped it against a nearby wall. One of the marines eyeballed Barret, slowly glanced down at the metal graft arm, then back at him.

"Um...Sir..." The soldier began.

"What, you want me to take my whole arm off, foo'? Fuck outta here!" He bellowed.

"It's fine, boys," Lysa said with a wave of her hand, "But I'm afraid we're still gonna have to pat you all down,"

"If any of you men touch me, I'll..." Tifa drew back.

"I'll handle that." Lysa put in quickly.

"Man, this is such bullshit!" Cid cussed.

"Whatever, just hurry up," Cloud said.

After, all four of them were patted down from navel to toe, but to Tifa it seemed the other woman was enjoying touching her just a little too much. Lysa was particularly over-thorough around her breasts, checking and feeling on all sides, down her cleavage, and even lifting them up to feel underneath. Tifa even swore she caught a glint of enjoyment in the Turk's eyes, and felt absolutely dirty afterward.

"Right, go on ahead." Lysa beckoned them onward.

Repulsed but keeping silent, Tifa followed the others, but never took her eyes off the Turk, she likewise keeping eye-contact with the brunette. Just before the double doors were pulled shut, Lysa winked, and blew the other female a kiss. Tifa made a mental note to beat that one as soon as an opportunity arose.

The office space was mostly cleared, save for a single oval desk, assorted chairs pushed or stacked here and there, and a large television screen hung on the back wall, attached to a computer terminal. Rufus and Reeve had their backs turned to Cloud and the others, instead facing the large screen, upon which was the static filled image of none else but Cait Sith.

"Ahoy, Cloud, Tifa!" Cait beamed through the screen, "An' is that Cid I see? Greetins, laddie! Barret? Ya made it in one piece I see!"

Here, Reeve and Rufus turned to face the others, the former gesturing them to move closer, "I'm glad you're all here at last,"

"Just what the Sam hell was that cavity search out front all about!" Cid yelled.

"Yeah, foo'! If we wanted to ice yo ass we would've done it long ago!" Barret put in.

"Oi, friends!" Cait screeched, jumping up and down to draw attention back to it, "Not now! I have some news for ye all!"

This caught Cloud's attention, "Been a minute, Cait. What have you learned? Where are you?"

The toy cat nodded, "Aye, lad! Too long! I'm on my wee to Cosmo Canyon ta speak wit' Red XIII!"

"Nanaki?" Tifa asked, stepping closer, "I've been wondering why we haven't seen him since this all started,"

"Tha's what I'm goin' ta find out, Tifa!" Cait responded,

"Reeve and I have agreed," Rufus put in, "that Nanaki and his warriors are crucial for winning the coming battles,"

Reeve nodded his agreement, "Indeed. Cloud, as much as you and the others might not want to consider, but we're nearly outmatched and outgunned here,"

"The hell you mean?" Barret asked.

Cait answered, "Some o' mine own spies tell me tha rebels have reserves upon reserves o' men and even young boys stationed elsewhere! Not only that, but they're buildin' more weapons like tha Geo-leviathan!"

"Son of a bitch!" Cid swore, slapping a palm across his forehead, "Where? What kinda weapons?"

Cait shook it's head, "I dunno, lad! Very hush hush information! I'm workin' on it though!"

"The better question would be where the silver-haired man is getting all of his recruits from," Cloud pondered.

"Aye, that too!" Cait agreed. "Ah, afraid I'm about ta lose ye all, we're getting closer to tha Canyon!"

"Just keep me informed, Cait," Reeve said.

"Aye, boss-man! Over and out!" Then the static took over the screen, and Reeve pressed a button and switched it off.

"Take a seat, gentlemen, and lady." Rufus said with a chuckle, hobbling over to his own chair and seating himself.

Once every one was seated, Reeve likewise sat, directly next to Rufus, "As you all know, this war is just now building steam,"

"The bloodshed hasn't truly begun yet, is what _President_ Tuesti is trying to say," Rufus added, only to receive a fowl from the other man.

"We all guessed that much, jackass!" Cid said, "An' I still ain't done with you, Reeve!"

Rufus sighed, palm cupping his cheek, "There are much bigger things to worry about than your precious ego, Cid."

The pilot shot up then, but Tifa yanked him back down by the arm and hissed into his ear, "Save it for later, Cid!"

"Is there a reason you called us here, Reeve?" Cloud said after a moment,

"Yeah, man! What's gonna happen next?" Barret added.

"We're still working on that. Myself, Rufus, Tseng, Warick, and our army commanders," Reeve answered,

"There's a lot of mysteries that need to be solved," The WRO president continued, "such as where these reserves are, where these new weapons are being built. As it stands... if another attack like Junon happens again before we're recovered, Edge will be next, and we may not survive."

A fearful silence took over the room then, until Rufus spoke up, "There's plenty of time to recover, I believe Reeve just enjoys being over-dramatic."

"You think this is a joke, asshole!" Cid bellowed.

Rufus put up a hand, "Calm down, Cid; gods almighty you really haven't changed a bit either. Am I the only one who's turned over a new leaf?"

Cloud stood up then, "If this is all, then we're leaving,"

"Wait, Cloud," Reeve held up a hand, "There's a lot that we need to discuss, but first, something you'll want to know. Something important,"

"Thanks in advanced," Barret muttered sarcastically.

Rufus chuckled, "You should be thanking Tseng and Cait; they're the ones who found this information."

"And what kind of information?" Tifa asked, losing patience.

Rufus let the silence hang in the air a few seconds, then spread his palms apart, "Why, the very thing you've all been wondering since this all started."

Reeve finished, "We know exactly where Yuffie is being held prisoner."

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Fort Condor] ` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>Reij sat upon the throne in the main room of Fort Condor, drumming his fingertips upon the wood and iron rest, other palm cupping his cheek. His mind raced with possibilities and ideas as his eyes scanned the assembled troops before him. To his right stood Edward, always with a clenched jaw and grim look on his face, clearly not wanting to be there. To the left stood a nameless rebel, a pistol in his right hand and a walkie-talkie in the other. This device beeped twice, and a voice called from it,<p>

"Sir, they're back," And then the militant turned to Reij upon the throne.

The new leader nodded, "Send them crazy bastards in!"

After, the large doors were pulled apart, and in strode the Twin Blade monsters, Sinnah and Sonnia. Always they walked in perfect synchronization, which more than unsettled all those present. Their respective scimitars bounced left and right on their hips as they walked, the male smiling like a little child, and the female's expression entirely blank. Once they reached ten paces from the throne, they halted and, again in perfect synch, lifted their right leg out slightly, then quickly brought it back down, to click their heels together.

"The Twin Blades are at your disposal!" They said together.

Reij tried to not look impressed, but rather, bored, "Well that didn't take long! By you two freaks being here I'm guessin' that everything went according to plan?"

The female, Sonnia, nodded, "We did everything but burn the Seventh Heaven down,"

Reij's face darkened then, "I thought I told you..."

"Calm, mighty Reij!" Sinnah giggled, "My sweet sister here can surely explain!"

Sonnia went on, "In truth, we did not trust your judgment. Many things could have gone wrong and your plans would not come to fruition."

Edward inwardly grimaced; this entire time treason had been plotted right under his own eyes, and he could not see it, could not stop it.

Reij considered this a moment, "I'm not too sure I trust you freaks of nature! After all, you were quick to betray that other asshole. What's to stop you from doin' the same to me?"

Sinnah grinned, "We serve the Brotherhood as a whole, sir! Leaders and kings come and go, but the good fight still goes on!"

"And that besides," Sonnia went on, "we never trusted he with silver hair. Such is why we gave him our own weapon,"

At that, Reij reached into his pocket and fished out the black and red summon materia, used to summed Yarzagorth, "You mean this thing?"

"Yes, yes!" Sinnah laughed, "We knew he could not contain the Gorefiend's mighty strength! We knew that..."

Reij snorted, not caring, "Whatever, just stay quiet." He then passed the summon materia to the militant next to him, "Hold onto that, Baron Devlynn might get a kick out of it! Anything to say, Cross?"

Edward clenched his teeth even tighter, but forced himself to relax, "Welcome... _back _to the Brotherhood, Sinnah and Sonnia."

"Glory to the Planet!" The twins said in unison, then turned and exited the room.

"Right, I've had enough of this shit!" Reij said, standing up, "Time to take care of some _real _business."

Edward began to follow, "Sir, should I..."

Reij never stopped walking, never turned around, "Stay here and make sure those reserves and slaves get here, Cross! I'll call ya when I want ya. And you!" He said while pointing to another rebel, "Get that foreigner Tormuj on the line. Down in the dungeons, now!"

Reij pushed open the door once he reached the top of the second flight of stairs, he being trailed by four of his personal guard. Down at the end of the hall was the dungeon cell housing the silver-haired man, and Reij's own personal satisfaction of slicing him open! Instead, what the five men discovered was an open jail call, and a pair of fur lined leather boots sticking out of it. They ran over, finding Tormuj laying on the stone floor, his face bloodies, bruised, and some of his clothing in tatters.

"What the fuck, you foreign bastard!" Reij yelled, and ordered his men to haul the bronze-skinned one to his feet, and hold him there.

Tormuj looked up through one eye, the other swollen shut, "Your... Grace!" He coughed once, "This one apologizes for the failure."

Reij's temper began to boil, "What the fuck are you talkin' about? Where's that pretty boy bastard?" At a nod, his two men holding the foreigner gripped him tighter.

"This one received the call to meet His Grace at the dungeon," Tormuj said slowly, "But when this one got here... betrayal!"

Reij pulled out his knife and pressed it hard to Tormuj's throat, "You got about ten seconds before I open you up, boy. Now spit it out!"

Tormuj nodded, "Betrayers, ones who wanted to kill the silver-haired one themselves. This one tried to warn them... that Reij was the final authority! But they would not listen... there were too many. They stole him away!"

Now the fingers gripping the knife began to turn white, and very slowly did Reij pull the blade a couple inches, until blood spilled down the other's neck, "You wouldn't be lying to me... would ya?"

"Never, Your Grace!" Tormuj half-pleaded, "And... I can prove it!"

"Five seconds," Reij spat.

"One of this one's men... nearby. He tracked them down! With more of this one's men... they're in the outside courtyard!"

Reij withdrew in an instant, placing the knife back on his belt and reaching for a cell phone, "Bring the foreigner!" He punched a number, and held it to his ear, "Kyle? Get twenty men down in the outside courtyard, and they better be there before I am!"

The layout of the outside court yard was a square shaped yard, with four sets of wooden doors perfectly adjacent to each other. As fate would have it, Reij, Tormuj, and the former's entourage entered the court yard at the exact moment that Kyle and his twenty men arrived via the adjacent door. Instantly a thick and rotting smell hit their noses, akin to someone roasting rotting meat. Four men were thrown down onto their knees, bound with thick rope, and bags pulled over their heads. Around them were a team of seven armed rebels, some of them with the same bronze skin as Tormuj, brandished guns held at the back of the four bound men's heads. And behind them was a large pyre, belching black and white plumes of smoke into the sky.

Reij's temper peaked then, and felt his face turning red, "That better not be who the fuck I think it is!"

Upon the burning pyre was a headless corpse, tied with chains to a thick wooden beam. The clothing had since melted away, as had most of the flesh, leaving nothing but blistered and still cooking skin and innards. Rising high above that was a wooden pike, stabbed through it was the presumed head of the unfortunate corpse. But like the body, there was nothing left to distinguish any form of detail or identity. But to the newcomers in the courtyard, it could only be one person. The silver-haired man.

Tormuj ripped himself free of the men holding him, and stormed over to stand before another bronze-skinned militant, "What happened here, worm? Speak up!"

The militant shrugged his shoulders, "There _were_ fifteen of us, and over thirty of them," He nodded to the four bound men, "These are all that's left."

"The one's who assaulted this one?" Tormuj pressed.

"Yes, lieutenant."

Reij walked over then, his eyes wide with anger and his face nearly as red as the fire. He looked up at the burning corpse, then back to the militant, "And you know for a **fact** that _that's_ Silver Hair?"

The militant nodded again, "Yes, sir. They lit the pyre mere moments before my team and I got here. They doused the entire thing with oil and gas... the flames caught too quickly to stop it."

"Son of a god-damned ol' bitch of a whore!" Reij screamed as loud as he could, punching himself in the head a couple times. He had wanted to be the one to kill that annoying prick! Certain that his eyes were red now, he instead turned and ripped the bag off one of the prisoners.

"Just have to make due, I guess!" Reij said, and jammed his knife into the skull of that man, then turned to face the next, likewise ripping the bag from his head.

This man's eyes went wide with fear, quickly shaking his head many times. He was gagged with thick cloth, but he continued to muffle and mumble a string of words, constantly nodding towards Tormuj. Reij leaned down and slapped a hand on the man's shoulder.

"Hey, hey! Calm the fuck down! It's gonna be okay," Reij said menacingly.

But the man continued to plead and beg and nod towards the surrounding militants, before Reij plunged his knife upward, beneath the man's jaw and up into his throat. He then took out a pistol and simply shot the remaining two in the head, not even bothering to remove their hoods.

"This one is dishonored, Your Grace," Tormuj said, lowering his head.

"Shut the fuck up already!" Reij snapped, cleaning the blood from his knife. "Be glad I don't snip your neck, foreigner! Unfortunately, I could still use someone like you. Now get the hell outta my sight; Cross has some new orders for you and that freak Hammerhand."

"Glory to the Brotherhood, glory to sir Reij," Tormuj said, and then was gone.

"Kyle," Reij said after, "You still got that materia?"

The one called Kyle removed the red and black orb from his pocket, "Aye, sir!"

"Let's take a trip down below," Reij said with a smirk, taking the materia and headed for a side door, "and pay our Grand Inquisitor a visit! See what he makes of this damn thing!" This he said, as he bounced the sphere up and down in his hand.

At the mention of the person they intended to visit, dread shot through the man called Kyle. He heard plenty of stories about Baron Devlynn, and none of them were good. And when Reij threw open the side door to reveal a winding staircase, spiraling down into darkness, dread turned into terror. A cloying smell hit his nose then, and it took all his willpower to not turn and flee in fear.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><em>~ ` ` ` [Turk Barracks, WRO Tower] ` ` ` ~<em>

* * *

><p>"So you really never received any such order?"<p>

"Swear on my sister's grave, Director,"

Tseng nodded slowly, scribbling a note into a small pad of paper, then tucking it into his outer coat pocket, "Very well, carry on, son," then turned and exited that room.

The hallway was a dull and depressing beige color, the ceiling and floor matching a grayish white; to him it almost looked like the hallway of a hospital, or morgue. Turning to his left, he took five steps, boots clicking loudly, and entered yet another room. Here he discovered two more Turk recruits, a blonde-haired male and a brunette female; both were sitting on the edge of one bed, and from the way they quickly jerked away from each other, were about to make out.

"I don't think I need to remind either of you that any employee infatuation of any form is forbidden," Tseng said, a deathly tone in his voice, "or you'll both be stripped of rank, and thrown in military prison,"

"S-Sorry, Director!" The blonde male stammered, and shot to his feet.

"Won't happen again, sir!" The female added.

"Just as well, I need to ask the both of you a question, starting with you," And pointed with his pen to the male. "And you," this while looking at the female recruit, "shall have to wait out in the hall."

The brunette saluted, "Of course, Director!" And nearly fell over herself to exit the door, pulling it shut behind her.

"Now," Tseng went on, again removing his notepad, "Just before the siege of Junon went into full swing, I requested the Turk recruits, to be led by Lysa Howtzer, to come along with General Warick's forces. What do you know about that?"

The recruit shuffled his feet, but never broke eye contact, "Nothing, sir, I swear!"

"Have you, or any of the other recruits to your knowledge spoken with Miss Howzter, either prior or after the siege?"

"Honestly, Director..."

Tseng latched onto that word in a heartbeat, "Yes? Speak quickly!"

The recruit stood ramrod stiff, and spoke truly, "I've never even _seen_ Miss Howtzer, or if I have I wouldn't know!"

Tseng wrote down his notes, "She has red hair, roughly the same build as your... friend out in the hall. Have you spoken to anyone like that?"

The recruit thought for only a second, "No, sir,"

"I hope you know..." Tseng threatened, "that if you're lying, not only will you be trialed as a traitor, but also a war criminal and a vigilante? A triple threat... they'll string you up in secret and torture you to death just for kicks."

It obviously was an idle threat, and not true by any means, but it did work, because now the recruit tripped over every word, "Please, sir! I've always wanted to be a Turk, why would I throw that away and turn traitor!"

Tseng sighed, "Relax, son. I'd almost hate to see you if you ever were tortured. You might give away valuable company secrets..." And wrote another line on his pad.

"What..."

"Nevermind," Tseng interrupted, "you're dismissed. Send your friend in here."

After another round of questioning with the other recruit, (with the same dead end results) Tseng walked down the hallway, his head feeling as though it were about to burst. Something was very wrong, he just knew it. He wasn't crazy, knew that he asked Reeve personally to send in the recruits to assist in the battle; Reeve even confirmed that himself! The night carried on in a similar manner, questioning recruit after recruit, often switching up the order of his questions and even trying to use reverse psychology... but everyone he questioned always said the same predictable answers. At one point, exiting still another room, he checked his watch: three-thirty in the morning; no wonder he felt so tired. He decided then that tomorrow would be another day and, assuming the higher ups didn't have other orders for him, would continue his investigation.

He rounded a corner, then immediately another and through a set of double doors. Here, the hallway was more warm and inviting, with reddish brown walls, matching brown and white tile, and every few feet a small table with a lamp on it.

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him, one around his stomach and the other around his throat, and gripped tightly. Tseng, caught off guard, was thrown face first into the wall. Despite seeing stars, he quickly recovered and turned to his attacker, only to have a lamp shattered across his face. He fell backward into a roll, then quickly sunk into a fighting stance. His attacker was covered all over in solid black, with not a single inch of flesh being visible, and sunk into a similar stance.

"You'll burn for this," Tseng remarked flatly.

In response, the attacker held out a hand, and curled fingers inward.

Tseng met the call, suddenly lunging forward, right fist leading the way. The assailant, much swifter than appeared, merely squatted under the blow and came up with their own right hook. On impact, a solid, hard material struck him square on the cheek with a sickening _clink_! He fell backwards and instantly tasted blood, knowing that hidden in the black gloves had to be a pair of brass knuckles. He spat out a thick wad, rubbing the rest from his lip, then quick as could, reached with his left hand into his jacket for his pistol.

The mystery person was on him a moment later, a silver knife appearing in the right hand. Cold steel expertly slashed across his wrist, and a moment later lost all feeling in his hand and was forced to drop the pistol. Right leg from the attacker came up, Tseng dodging away then coming back quick as possible with his right hook. But like before, the stranger ducked, twisted, and slashed his other wrist. Tseng cried out in pain, but a second later the toe of the other's right boot came up and struck him hard across the ribs, and he fell down onto his knees.

"Steel toed boots..." Tseng rasped.

The other twirled the dagger around, a free hand reaching into a back pocket to remove a small silver device, resembling a speaker. It was clicked on, the stranger placing it up to where the mouth normally would be.

"The famous Director Tseng, your reputation doesn't exactly precede you." The voice that came out of the device was disguised, no distinction to it being male or female.

"Who are you?" Tseng gasped, still clutching his ribs.

Again the voice changer came up, "Someone who serves both sides to his fight."

"So you're... the traitor?"

The attacker nodded.

"Why...?" Tseng's vision began to fade, and slowly the whole world began to turn black.

"Because it's time for a change."

The attacker then stepped forward, gloved hand yanking back a fistful of black hair. Tseng attempted to fight his assailant off, but had since lost any feeling in either of his arms. Blood stained much of his jacket, and it seeped through the fabric and further added to the thick pools around his feet.

"Who...?" He asked with the last of his strength.

Using the free hand not holding the Director by the hair, the stranger yanked off the mask.

Tseng's eyes went wide.

Then pain lit up the left side of his face as a steel-toed boot stuck him, sending him sprawling onto his stomach upon the floor. Unable to move, he instead tried to call out a single word: _help! _However, before he could make the attempt, a burning and seething pain like nothing he ever knew shot up and down his entire back, spreading throughout his entire body. Even right then he was certain he felt his life force draining away, but was completely helpless to move or even speak. The final thing he saw was a pair of black leather boots hurrying away down the hall; then his world faded into nothing.

Two hours later, a female Turk recruit with medium length blonde hair stepped towards her doorway, a spring in her step. Today was the day she was gonna take her final initiation test, and if she passed she would be a full blown member of the Turks! She could only imagine the look on her brother and mother's face when they read her letter to them announcing the good news! Then just as soon as it took her to open the door out of her room, her happiness was washed away. Her scream echoed down the hallway, and she turned and ran down it's length as fast as she could.

"Somebody help! The Director's hurt! Please, help! Anybody!" She constantly yelled, pounding on every door she passed.

Tseng had been laid out spread eagle upon his stomach, a thick pool of blood having since gathered around his entire body, and even seeping into the cracks on the floor and of the baseboards. The back of his coat had been sliced down to the center of his back, where a thick dagger hilt was protruding from his flesh. Across his shoulder blades was carved a rough drawing of JENOVA's head, along with the word "brotherhood" beneath that. And upon the wall, written with Tseng's own blood,

"_He was the first of many."_

**~ ` ` ` [END] ` ` ~**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note: <strong>Stay tuned for the credit's roll and afterword! You probably won't be disappointed!


	28. CreditsAfterword(s)

**Foreword:**

_Nothing that follows is meant to be entirely taken seriously; however it is encouraged that it be read all the way to the end._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note(s): <strong>I hope those of you that have followed this story since it's inception have enjoyed it! And for those who are fairly new to reading this particular story, sincerely hope I've caught your interest and will stick around for future works! This final **final** chapter is meant to be a sort of credit's roll, reminiscent of the end of a video game or movie, with our favorite characters in a very out of character situation. As mentioned above, most of it is not meant to be taken seriously, but who knows what will happen? Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 28Credits-**

**Rock of Ages**

* * *

><p><em>Long live rock n' roll!<em>

* * *

><p>Nearly all of Edge City had turned out for what was promised to be a 'special event' announced by none other than Rufus Shinra himself. Word had spread quickly, and nearly everyone had their own thoughts and speculations as to what it could be. Some had thought it to be a major announcement involving the recent events happening around the continent, or that a new world crisis had arisen. Those rumors were quickly silenced however, as many had spotted heavy WRO loading trucks bearing such things as large amps, speakers, pyrotechnics, other sound equipment, and more than enough workers to unload and set up the aforementioned objects and others like them. Soon the rumors of something panic inducing turned into excited chatter and rumors, and residents from all of the surrounding areas had also arrived. From Kalm to Fort Condor and all of the villages, towns and outposts in between and all around traveled to Edge.<p>

Now, some thirty-thousand plus people were gathered in a dusty field, just outside the western borders of the city, and assembled before them was a large upraised stage, surrounded by guard barriers and WRO soldiers, though many of them only wielded crossed arms with nightsticks hanging on their belts. Upon the stage, which was brightly lit by white LED lights strung overhead, several people rushed here and there to prepare. Some pushed large speakers into place, plugged in a wire there, and set up for what even Reeve had promised to be 'the best thing to happen in Edge in a long time.' Also directly behind and raised over the top of the stage, concealed by crisscrossing steel beams, a titanic sized screen had been set up, for the moment black as pitch.

The assembled crowd had all chattered amongst themselves, but due to the sheer volume the noise level was already substantially high, which led to one having to shout to be heard. Tension and excitement only continued to rise as the sun began it's slow descent, with many in the crowd having been there for several hours.

That excitement spiked then, when a man stomped on a nearby switch, which sent ten pillars of flame shooting into the air behind the main set-up. Instantly the crowd gasped and then cheered, many on the front rows shouting out to 'do it again, do it again!' Another man walked on stage from the left, holding a black and red guitar in his hands. He moved into the appropriate position, plugged the instrument into a nearby amp, then began to play a few simple chords. As the gusto in the crowd grew higher and higher, the man grinned, and sped the tempo up just a bit. Once he was satisfied all was well, he placed the instrument on a nearby rack, and vanished from sight. Further back on a further raised portion of the stage, yet another man slid into the drummer's seat, quickly picking up the sticks and beginning to thump a few beats, his right foot tapping the kick pedal for extra effect. Again the crowd cheered, many among them who had expert knowledge of such events knew that the fun was soon to start.

After a time, no other noise came from the speakers or the stage, which in turn caused the crowd to become restless. When it threatened to get out of hand, a woman stepped up to center stage, where a microphone waited on a stand. She smirked, then suddenly snatched the mic back towards her.

"_WHAT'S UP EDGE CITYYYYYYYYY!_" She wailed. The crowd roared on.

The woman laughed, "Cool your jets, folks! Last minute adjustments, then we're gonna party!" Then she too, was gone.

Another half hour dragged on, the adrenaline having since mostly faded from the crowd. A moment later, that all changed. Much of the gathering grounds had been lit with large spotlights, fastened to steel towers surrounding where the venue was to take place. These lights combined with the ones from the stage lit the area very well. Then when no one least expected it, all of the lights simultaneously switched off, leaving the crowd in total blackness, with only the starry sky above for light.

They all screamed at the top of their lungs. It was time.

The only thing louder than the crowd was the sudden roaring of an airship engine, which slowly trundled to a stop just over the venue grounds. Once it rumbled to a stop mid-air, numerous spotlights flared to life along it's undercarriage and along it's wings and tail. These lights swirled and swiveled in random motions all around the crowd.

"_EDGE CITY!_" A booming voice shouted from the airship, "_I GOT JUST ONE QUESTION FOR YA! ARE... YOU... READYYYYY!_"

The response of the thirty-thousand was obvious.

"_BULLSHIT I CAN'T HEAR YOU!_" The voice yelled again. This time, the following roar could be heard by nearly all who had remained within the city itself.

"_HA HA! THAT'S MORE LIKE IT! WELL LADIES AND GERMS, PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR THE ONES AND THE ONLY'S, THE FINAAAAAAL FANTASIIIIIIIES!"_

The mob cheered and cheered, until it was then little more then a dull roar. A moment later, a single spotlight, the only light upon the stage, shone upon a thin young woman, clutching a green spiral designed bass in her hands. Her right fingers strummed up and down a steady beat of _thum thum thum thum thum thum thum der thum thum_, and on the third repeat, a second spotlight shone on another woman to the left of the stage, this one wielding an electric guitar, quickly adding a steady tune in time with the bass. And on the second repeat of the guitar and bass, still two more lights flared, one center stage on blonde man who quickly snatched the mic from it's stand; the second on the drum kit, where the drummer quickly added a steady beat of his own.

"_I can't seem to face up to the facts, __I'm__ tense and I'm nervois and I can't relax_" The singer sang at med-voice, "_I can't sleep cause my bed's on fire! Don't touch me, I'm a real life wire!_"

Here, the drummer, guitar, and bassist leaned into their own microphones and added their voices, "_Psycho Killer, qu-'est-ce que c'est! Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better! Psycho Killer, qu-'est-ce que c'est! Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better!_"

"_Run run run run run, run run far awaaaaaay!" _The vocalist took over alone. The same steady beat continued for a few more seconds, the guitarist adding a very brief flurry of high-pitched hammer-ons, before the vocalist continued.

"_You start a conversation you can't even finish it! You're talking a lot, but you're not saying anything!" When have I nothing to say, my lips are sealed! Say something once, why say it again?"_

Yet again all four of the musicians lent their voice as one, _"Psycho Killer, qu-'est-ce que c'est! Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better! Psycho Killer, qu-'est-ce que c'est! Fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better!"_

"_Run run run run run, run run far awaaaaaay!"_

While the band continued their usual rhythms, the vocalist studied the crowd carefully, noting that many of them were obviously excited, cheering, but at the same time had expected something more. Quickly, he whirled around and dashed over to the female guitarist, leaned over and whispered something into her ear. The two grinned and seemed to laugh, and the band played on. The vocalist then stepped back center stage, nodded to the bassist, and once he received a nod from the drummer behind him, proceeded. Nearby his boot, he stepped on a small button, which created a loud and ear-piercing scratching sound, akin to a record being interrupted. On perfect cue, the other band members halted their playing, and soon the only sound were the disappointed groans and boos from the crowd.

"Ha ha!" The vocalist laughed, "C'mon now, after that hellish introduction you didn't think we were seriously gonna start off with a _slow _song did'ja?"

The drummer leaned into his microphone, "Edge City! Are you ready to rock!"

The crowd acknowledged.

Smirking, the bassist spoke next, "Whaddiya say, guys?"

Next, the guitarist, "Ready when you are!"

"Right!" The vocalist laughed again, "Edge City, do you wanna rock! Because I want to rock!"

Again, the crowed roared.

"I said... _I WANNA ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**" The rest of the band yelled a moment later in unison, blasting out notes of their respective instruments into the next song.

"_I WANNA ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**"

"_I WANNA ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**"

At each 'rock!' a line of flames erupted around the stage, red and yellow fireworks launching right behind to erupt and sparkle over the stage, smaller fireworks from within arcing out to erupt over the crowd.

By now, the blonde was thrashing and dancing around the stage, as the band played on, _"Turn it down" you say, but all I got to say to you is time and time again I say no!"_

"**NO!**" The band added their voices.

"_A-no no no! Tell me not to play, well I got to say to when you tell me not to play I say no!"_

"**NO!**"

"_A-no no no! So if you ask me why I like the way I play it, there's only one thing I can say to you; I WANNA ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**"

By now, both the female guitarist and bassist were also thrashing about, hips swinging and heads banging this way and that, the drummer furiously pounding away at the cymbals and skins that deafened those on the front rows.

"_I WANNA ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**"

_Dundundadaaa dundundadaaa _went the guitar, bass close behind.

"_I WANNA ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**"

Overhead, the airship began to rocket fireworks of different colors out in all directions, the explosions from them and the fast-paced beat of the band making all in the venue jump up and down, yelling as loud as they could.

The vocalist darted out onto a walkway built away from the stage, so that the assembled mob was all around him.

"_There's a feelin' that I get from nothin' else and there ain't nothin' in the world that makes me go!"_

"**GO!**"

"_A-go go go! Turn the power up; I've waited for so long so I could hear my favorite song so let's go!"_

"**GO!**"

"_A-go go go! When it's like this I feel the music shootin' through me, there's nothing else that I would rather do! I WANNA ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**" By now the rest of the crowd added their voices to the band's, many thrashing and jumping about in tune with the firing of the fireworks.

"_I WANNA ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**"

"_ROCK!"_

"**ROCK!**"

"_ROCK!"_

This continued several more times, and with a final _'I wanna rock!'_ the guitarist flew into a wild solo, her left fingers drumming and flying up and down the neck of the guitar, right furiously strumming up and down on the appropriate strings. During the solo, the blonde vocalist dashed around the stage, picking up buckets placed by the road crew, dashing those in the crowd with ice cold water. Finally, the song reached it's crescendo, each member of the band adding another miniature solo of their own, and then with a final _crash _of the cymbals and _bow-da-now_ of the guitar, the song ended. Lights shifted from the stage out to illuminate the crowd, secondary lights moving down to keep the stage perfectly lit. The cheering reached it's peak, it being even louder than when the event had originally started.

"Thank you!" The vocalist laughed, already reaching for a rag and dabbing sweat from his face, "Edge City, you're spectacular!"

The bassist and guitarist temporarily disappeared off the side stages, to retrieve another of their respect instrument, tuned very differently.

"Right, I don't think introductions are needed, but!" The vocalist laughed, "It might make some people feel better!" Here, he bowed, "Hello everyone, my name is Cloud Strife, and I'll be your host for the evening!"

The crowd cheered.

Cloud then pointed off to one side, "On guitar, the most beautiful woman in the world, Tifa Lockhart!"

Tifa threw up a fist and shouted, the mob following suit and several men whistling in approval. She sported a black and gray buttoned short sleeve flannel shirt, though it was unbuttoned in the front; underneath that was a black tank-top. Tight, dark blue jeans hugged her legs in the right places, with holes cut into the kneecaps; she wore black biker boots, a zipper and a strap on each side. Her brunette hair fell free all around her, but a black and white bandanna was wrapped around her forehead.

Cloud then pointed the opposite direction, "The best damn bassist of all, Yuffie Kisaragi!"

Yuffie in response twirled around once, holding her bass above her head and winking at the crowd. Around her upper bodice was a dark green tank-top with one over-the-shoulder 'sleeve' hacked away, matching green fingerless gloves running up each arm and stopping at the elbow. A short green and white skirt was around her hips, black pantyhose beneath that and torn generously around the thighs and lower legs. The final piece was thigh-high sneakers, black on white, with green shoe laces.

"And finally!" Cloud announced in a dramatic voice, turning around and dashing up towards the drum kit, slapping the man on the shoulder, "The only man who can hit harder than Meteor itself on drums! _Mister... Barret... WAAAAAAALLAAAAAAACE!"_

Yet again the mob went berserk, Barret standing up and saluting the crowd. He wore a black baseball cap which he quickly turned around backwards with a wink at the camera panning close to his face. He wore a long-sleeved black duster jacket, opened in the front with nothing beneath and matching gloves on his hands. (As for the rest, let's get real. It's the drummer, you never even really see the guy [or girl] from the waist down until the end of the show.)

Cloud himself sported a black leather biker vest on top of a white wife-beater, along with black jean pants with assorted chains hanging on both sides of his waist and legs. He wore pointed black boots, fingerless gloves, and had the faintest bit of black eyeshadow around his eyes, with tribal patterns drawn down his cheeks and onto his neck. He backflipped off the drum kit to again land center stage, which drew applause from the crowd, and even a random single volley of fireworks for full effect.

"Now that we got your attention!" Cloud yelled into the mic...

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>~~ I would like to thank all of the people who have been with me in the creation of this work since day one. My friends Christine, Denise, Liz, for inspiring me and giving me ideas from their own crazy minds to mesh with my own. I also want to thank the dedicated readers who have been following the story since it's beginning, the reviewers for giving their opinions, and the like. I'm truly grateful for each and every one, even to those who read my story and never submitted a review.<strong>

**Also, at this point I would make a suggestion to anyone still reading: this is a playful concept I came up with while binge-listening to the local rock station, and I've never written a 'concert' scene or concept before. As such, I would suggest reading to the end, looking up the 'playlist' of the songs, listen, and or read through again if you want your imagination to run wild.~~**

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p>"...now that we've got your attention!" Tifa followed up into her own mic.<p>

"We wanna welcome the fifth member of our group, everybody!" Yuffie finished with a fist pump.

Up above, the airship slowly shifted positions, turning in a half circle so that it was perfectly parallel with the stage. Barret drummed a few quick notes as his own acknowledgment.

A simulated lightning bolt struck the stage then, followed by a deafening rumble of thunder, the overhead stage lights dimming down as low as possible. Smoke began to flood the stage then, followed by a faint, eerie eulogy of an organ or piano playing. The smoke grew thicker and thicker, the piano music growing louder and louder, followed by a second false lightning strike, the follow up thunder roar louder than anything yet heard at the event. Upon the stage, just to the right of the drum set and right behind Tifa, a section of the floor had parted, with a platform underneath slowly raising up.

A light shone on Cloud then, "Everyone... please welcome..."

A second light flickered to life then, and pointed at the slowly raising platform; around the area, it was easy to note the smoke had lifted and began to waft apart. Still the piano music grew louder and louder, but the crowd only cheered, yelled, and stamped their feet all the more, until it was hard to discern which was the loudest. Finally, the hidden platform crested along the rest of the stage, the light piercing through what little of the smoke remained around it. A hooded figure stood there, surrounded by a large synthesizer set, which was built around his body on his left and right. A left hand was slowly tapping keys directly in the front, the right hand stretched off in that direction and tapping still more keys. The set itself stretched upward to chest level, and so even for those on the front rows it was hard to see much more than a black hood.

Cloud smirked against the microphone then, "Mister..._VINCENT... VALENTIIIIIIIINE!_"

Right then, the hooded figure threw off the shroud and let it fall away. Vincent stood there, a red bandanna wrapped around his head and raven hair spilling wildly everywhere. He wore a matching red, sleeveless vest, with cream colored cargo pants and black boots; the gloves on his hands were red, and like most of his bandmates', fingerless.

"Apologies for the dramatic entrance," Vincent said cooly into his mic, "Standing out has always been a habit of mine."

"Ha ha! I'm sure the crowd will forgive ya, Vince!" Barret called from the drum kit.

"So long as we keep this party goin'!" Yuffie laughed.

"Well then, let's make good use of that synthesizer!" Cloud agreed, again dashing out onto the walkway, reaching out and slapping an open palm against many other's.

"Maestro!" Tifa yelled into her mic, "Lights!"

Just then, the lights illuminating the stage slowly dimmed, with the white lights now changing to a pale blue. Vincent reached down and pressed a single key, in turn rotating a small knob just to his left so that the note in question grew steadily louder. Barret slowly whisked a drum stick across a set of wind chimes set up beside a secondary, smaller mic, their chiming mixing nicely with the key note. Vincent then pressed a different note, and still a different one, wherein Yuffie began to strum her bass to a steady '_dun-du-dun-du-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-du-dun-du-dundun'. _Finally, Barret blasted a quick seven notes, the lights shifting from dark blue to white; the crowd cheered the band on. Vincent now reached to his right and began to tap a set of keys, the sound coming out as a sort of _whoa-ooh-oh-oohoh-whoa-ooh-ooh-whoa_' and continued for several seconds.

"_Once upon a time... not so long ago,_" Cloud uttered, sliding the microphone into a nearby stand. He paused as the synthesizer added a few more quick high-pitched notes, then went on.

"_Tommy used to work on the doooocks! Union's been on strike, he's down on his luck, it's tough... so toooough!" _Here, he picked the mic stand up and darted back to the main stage.

Tifa leaned into her own mic, and sung the next line, "_Gina works the dinner all daaaay! Workin' for her man, she brings home her pay for love! Mmmmmm, for looooove!"_

Now the other's joined in the singing, "_She says 'we've gotta hoooold oooon! To what we've got; it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not! We've got each other, and that's a lot - for looooove, we'll give it a shot!"_

Cloud briefly took over, "_Ohhhhhh we're halfway theeeeere!"_

The band joined in quickly, "_Whooooooa! Liiiivin' on a prayeeer!"_

Cloud again, _"Take my haaaand, we'll make it I sweeeear!"_

"_Whoooooooa! Liiiivin' on a prayeeer!"_

_Whoa-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-ooh-whoa-ooh-oh-ooh-ooh-oh _went the synthesizer, with Tifa and Yuffie strumming along and Barret pounding the cymbals once, then continuing as he was before.

"_Tommy's got his six string in hock, now he's holding on to what he used to make it talk so tough! Mmmm, it's toooough!" _Cloud sang.

Next, Tifa, "_Gina dreams of runnin' awaaaay! When she cries in the night Tommy whispers,'baby it's okaaaaay! Somedaaaay...'"_

All voice joined in perfect unison, "_We gotta hoooold ooooon, to what we've got! It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not! We've got each other, and that's a lot - for loooove, we'll give it a shot!"_

"C'mon Edge City, let me hear you!" Cloud wailed into the mic as the song continued.

And the crowd did indeed join in, "_Ohhhhhh we're halfway theeeere!"_

"Louder!" Cloud laughed.

"_**WHOOOOOA! LIIIIIVIN' ON A PRAAAYER! **__Take my haaaand, we'll make it I sweeear! __**WHOOOOOA! LIIIIVIN' ON A PRAAAYER!**_"

"_Liiivin' on a praaaaaaayer!" _Cloud finished, ten collumns of flames erupting behind the band, and more fireworks lighting up the sky.

Tifa flew into a solo then, stepping on a nearby switch, which caused silver and white sparks to shoot out of the head of her guitar as she played. So fast her left fingers moved, hand flying up and down the neck and hitting every fret perfectly. Vincent's keyboard set up had since begun to flash and change colors, the very tips of the fake pipes also firing tiny lights into the sky.

"_Mmmmmmm we gotta hoooold on!" _The band sang, "_Ready or not! You live for the fight when that's all that you've got!"_

"Sing it, Edge City!" Tifa screamed.

"_OHHHHHH WE'RE HALFWAY THEEEEERE! __**WHOOOOOA! LIIIIVIN' ON A PRAYEEEER!**_"

This repeated twice more before the song ended, a final volley of flashing lights launching high into the sky behind the stage, with the airship above the crowd firing small volleys of it's own to the left and right. As predicted, the crowd roared on.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ' ' ' [VII] ' ' ' ~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>~~At this point, I would also like to apologize to any and all who had followed this story. I realize it had been a long time since my last update (chapter 27) only for it to essentially be the end of the story. Don't fret too much, because during my absense I have been working on other chapters for a follow up (because obviously there will be a follow up) so fans need not worry. Be sure to be on the look-out!~~<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Each of the band had taken a small break, knocking back a swig of water or dabbing sweat from their foreheads. Tifa then taunted the crowd, by playing a few brief riffs interlinking together, for the illusion of the beginnings of another song. Cloud especially found it amusing, turning away from his mic to hide his laughter from the crowd. After another few seconds, Tifa ceased her playing, and Cloud spoke.<p>

"Party's not quite over yet, folks! We still got a little bit of energy left!"

"This next one is one you should all know very well!" Yuffie added.

Cloud nodded, "And I want _everyone _out there singing it!"

Barret hit the drums a couple quick times in acknowledgment.

"Let's rock it, Edge City!" Cloud screamed, stomping a nearby switch.

"_Gunter glieben glauchen globen,_" A voiceover with a thick accent called through the speakers.

Barret began to beat on a cowbell hung overhead, other hand steadily thumping against the main drum kit.

Cloud chuckled against the mic, "_All right... I got something to say!"_

Here, Tifa and Yuffie began to strum their own instruments, with the lights upon the stage now changing colors from white, to red, blue, purple, then back to white. The strobe lights twisted and turned, throwing the multiple lights around the stage and out into the crowd.

"_Yeah, it's better to burn out... than fade awaaaay!_" Cloud sang. "_Ow! Gonna start a fire!"_

Guitar and bass sped up a little bit, with Barret pounding a little harder on the drum skins; the crowd threw their hands into the air and began to jump about as the song built up speed.

"_Rise up! Gather 'round! Rock this place to the ground! Burn it up, let's go for broke! Watch the night go up in smoke! Mmm, rock on!"_

"**Rock on!**" The band followed behind.

"_Drive me crazier! No serenade, no fire brigade, just the Pyromania! Come on!"_

The pillars of flame continued to erupt, one right after another, with the stage lights temporarily turning red and seeming to strobe and twirl about even faster.

Barret, Tifa, and Yuffie sung in unison, "_What do you want? What do you want!"_

Cloud added his voice, "_I want rock and roll!" Yes I do! Long live rock n' roll!"_

The blonde took over the singing, "_Oh let's go, let's strike a light, we're gonna blow like dynamite! I don't care if it takes all night, gonna set this town aliiiiight! Come on! _Sing it you crazy bastards!"

The crowd roared, "_What do you want! What do you waaant! We waaaant rock n'roll!"_

"_Well all right!" _Cloud sang, "_Long live rock n' roooll! __AwwwwwYEEEEAH!"_

Now the band, and the crowd sung, "_Rock of ages! Rock of ages! Still a-rollin'! Keep a-rollin! Rock of ages! Rock of ages! Still rollin'~ Rock n' rollin'!"_

Overhead, the large airship's own strobe lights changed colors and seemed to brighten, sending flashes of sparks and bursting orbs of lights high into the sky. Other fireworks rocketed out of the sides to burst mid-flight, showering the crowd in harmless specks of white light and glitter.

"_We've got the power, got the gloooory! Just say you need it, and if you need it say __**YEEEAH!**_" Cloud screamed into the mic, followed by another shower of fireworks and pillars of flame.

Meanwhile, a circular platform beneath Tifa and Yuffie's feet had risen up, so that the two were now roughly five feet in the air, they still strumming and dancing about. The circular walls showed large symbols of the WRO, and it in turn began to rapidly change colors and even shoot out still more showers of sparks and light.

"_Now listen to me!_" Cloud continued, "_I'm burnin', burnin', I got the feeeever! I know for suuuure, there ain't no cure! So feel it, don't fight it, go with the flow! And gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme one more for the roooad! __**Come on!**_"

"_What do you want?" _The band added, "_What do you waaant?"_

"_**Weeee waaaant rock n' roll!**_**" **The crowd answered deafeningly.

Tifa wailed out notes as she went into the solo, the screeching guitar only slightly less loud than Barret's furious pounding of the drums. Cloud had again danced from one end of the stage to the next, dashing the crowd with more buckets of ice water. In the skies, the airship continued it's display of fireworks and large strobe lights, which still changed colors rapidly.

"Everybody sing it!" Tifa screamed, "Let's go out with a bang!"

Then the entire stage lit up with plumes of flame and sparkled lights that shot up from beneath it, which only drove the crowd more wild. They gladly jumped up and down, thirty-thousand people screaming as loud as they could:

"_**Rock of ages! Rock of ages! Still a-rollin'! Keep a-rollin! Rock of ages! Rock of ages! Still a-rollin'! Rock n' rollin'!**__"_

"_We've got the power, got the glooory! Just say you need it, and if you need it say YEEEEAH!_"

"_**YEEEEAH!**_" The crowd answered.

Cloud laughed into the mic, banging his head along with the guitar and bass as the song ended, "_Gonna burn this damn place dooown! Down to the ground! Heh heh heh heh hehhhhh._"

A final crash of symbols and the entire stage went pitch black, with the crowd cheering louder than ever.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

What follows is a list of the bands/songs that were used in the beginning of each chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1 - <strong>"**Chasing Dreams": N/A**

**Chapter 2 - **"**Nightmare Revisited": N/A**

**Chapter 3 - **"**C'est la Vie": Five Finger Death Punch – Battleborn**

**Chapter 4 - **"**Familia supra Omnia": Volbeat – Heaven Nor Hell**

**Chapter 5 - **"**A Seed of Chaos": - Nine Inch Nails – The Hand that Feeds**

**Chapter 6 - **"**Stratagem": - Ratt – Round and Round**

**Chapter 7 - **"**A Prelude to Madness": - Ozzy Osbourne – Shot in the Dark**

**Chapter 8 - **"**A Lament for Innocence": - Nightwish – Gethesamane**

**Chapter 9 - **"**The Wolf & the Snake" - Kongos – Come With Me Now**

**Chapter 10 -**"**Solving the Riddle': Ozzy Osbourne – No More Tears**

**Chapter 11 - **"**A Gathering Storm'; - Shinedown – Diamond Eyes**

**Chapter 12 -**"**Hour Zero": - U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday**

**-End chapter: Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising**

**Chapter 13 - "Hannibal ante Portas pt I': - KISS – Creatures of the Night**

**Chapter 14 - **"**Hannibal ante Portas pt II': - Megadeth – Symphony of Destruction**

**-End chapter: Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising**

**Chapter 15 - "Eye for an Eye": - Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son**

**Chapter 16 - "Trump Cards": - Kansas – Dust in the Wind**

**Chapter 17 - "Of Flame & Frost": - Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song**

**Chapter 18 - "Remembrance & Resurgence": - Iron Maiden – Two Minutes to Midnight**

**Chapter 19 - "The Next Steps": - Linkin Park – Runaway**

**Chapter 20 - "Fluctuating Darkness": - Keep of Kalessin – Ascendant **

**Chapter 21 - "The Siege of Junon pt I": - Breaking Benjamin – I Will Not Bow**

**Chapter 22 - "The Siege of Junon pt II": Blind Guardian – Battlefield**

**Chapter 23 - "The Big Push": Amon Amarth – Cry of the Blackbirds**

**Chapter 24 - "Dominus Deceptio": Dragonforce – Soldiers of the Wasteland**

**-End chapter: Dio – Rainbow in the Dark**

**Chapter 25 - "Aftermath": Phil Collins – Land of Confusion**

**Chapter 26 - "Stacked Deck": KISS – War Machine**

**-Mid-chapter, played on the radio: Molly Hatchet – Flirtin' With Disaster**

"**Epilogue: Over the Edge, Over Again": Metallica – Until It Sleeps**

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p>Just as the show looked to be over, the lights suddenly flashed to life, and upon the stage stood the five band members. Yuffie, Tifa, Cloud, Barret and Vincent stood side by side, arms raised and bowing towards the crowd, who only cheered on. Cloud produced a microphone.<p>

"Thank you very much, everyone!" He said, then passed the mic on to Tifa.

"We've never rocked as hard as when we came here tonight!" Next, the mic made it's way to Barret.

"Y'all done made us rock so hard we almost blew a speaker! Ha ha!"

Then Cloud received the mic again, "Always fun playing in your home town, huh folks!"

The crowd cheered and cheered, then began to chant, _encore, encore, encore, encore!_

The band members gave each other looks, but each one grinning ear to ear. Cloud spoke again, "What's that? An _encore_?"

Thirty-thousand people screamed.

"_I can't hear you!_" Cloud laughed. The result was those on stage had to cover their ears from the sheer ear-splitting wails and cries that seemed to shake the ground.

"Well that's good enough for me, boys and girls!" Cloud chuckled, "You got it, Edge City! I think we got one more song left in us. Whaddiya say, guys?"

"Let's do it!" Yuffie cried.

"Can't afford to say no, can we!" Barret agreed.

"I'm always down for a good time!" Tifa laughed.

Vincent nodded, "The best for last."

"Well all right then!" Cloud decided, as the band split up and scurried back to their positions.

"Before we begin..." The blonde said somberly, "Myself and all of us would like to dedicate this song... to you all. Just remember there is not a thing that you can't do if you put your minds to it! Without dreams, we as living, breathing humans are nothing at all. So chase your dreams! Believe in yourself! And never, ever lose sight of your ultimate goals!"

The crowd howled their approval.

"Right!" Cloud suddenly wailed, "Let's make 'em hear us all the way at Fort Condor, everybody! Mr. Valentine, take us away!"

Vincent then began to play a steady line of key notes, which echoed and reverberated several times over the grounds. It was a slow and gentle tempo, which for the moment sobered up the crowd, but they nevertheless cheered in anticipation. He played the same set of notes in succession, then repeated the string of key hits twice more, when Tifa and Yuffie fell in with a slow strum, adding a touching sound to the synthesizer. Finally, the drums kicked, and the song flew into high gear. Cloud appeared front and center and began to sing.

"_World turns black and white, pictures in an empty room! Your love starts fallin' down, better change your tune! Yeah you reach for the golden ring, reach for the sky! Baby just spreeeead your wiiings!_"

The guitar played louder and slightly faster, the melody blending perfectly with the thrum of bass and thumping of the drums.

"_We'll get higher and higher, straight up we'll cliiiimb!_" Cloud sang, "_We'll get higher and higher, leave it all behiiind!_"

Still the instruments increased in tempo, the familiar flashing of white lights and popping and crackling of fireworks lighting up the night sky.

"_Run, run, run away, like a train running off the track! Got the truth bein' left behind, falls between the cracks! Standing on broken dreams, never losin' sight! Weeeell just spreeeead your wiiiings!_"

Here, the entire sky seemed to alight as the airship fired every possible volley of rockets skyward, the resulting blasts and explosions nearly as loud as the concert itself. The pitch dark sky suddenly lit up in arrays of blue, red, yellow, orange, white and purple.

"_We'll get hiiiigher and hiiiigher straight up we'll climb! We'll get hiiigher and hiiiigher leave it all behind!_"

Cloud paused mid-swing, and fell down onto one knee, but continued to sing, "_So baby dryyyy your eyes, save all the tears you've cried! Oh, that's what dreams are made oooooof! Cause we belong in a world that must be strong! Oh, that's what dreeeeams are made ooooof!_"

Each of the band members moved onto the solos, with fire and white sparkles flying from both Tifa's guitar and Yuffie's bass. Behind Barret's drum set, small tubes had been placed which now fired small rockets above the stage to explode and send white glitter and popping explosions overhead. Vincent's keyboard setup furiously changed colors, but the make-shift tubes added their own shots of fireworks and such overhead. As the guitar wailed, the drums thumped and pounded and the bass throbbed, Cloud reached underneath him and produced what resembled a rocket launcher. Laughing the whole time, he dashed out onto the walkway, aimed the weapon straight up into the air, and fired. A moment later, he fired a second shot.

The first rocket launched upward, angled slightly to it's left, before it exploded in a powerful blast. From the blasts of light and twinkling mortar, the symbol of the WRO appeared in the sky and lingered there for several seconds. The second rocket exploded just beneath that, and this one was a message, it reading simply '_NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER SURRENDER_'.'

"Help me out here, Edge City!" Cloud yelled over the still wailing guitar, "This one is all on you! You're the rock stars now!"

And they all sang right behind him, '_We'll get hiiiigher and hiiiigher, straight up we'll cliimb! Hiiigher and hiiigher leave it aaaall behiiind! Oh, hiiigher and hiiigher, who knows what we'll find?_'

At the back of the stage, several pinwheel shaped devices suddenly began to turn, throwing out red and yellow sparks and lights all around. At the crescendo, every pyrotechnic, every possible firework launching device all went off at once, so that the night was filled with the sounds of rock music, cheering people, and a constant barrage of crackling and exploding fireworks

"_So baby dry your eyes, save all the tears you've cried! Ohh that's what dreeeeams are made ooof! 'Cause we belong, in a world that must beeee strong! Yeah that's what dreeeams are made oooooof!_"

Yet again Tifa's fingers moved at lightning speed, hitting a long string of notes and frets that served as another small guitar solo. Yuffie grinned, stomping a nearby pedal that fired a small rocket out of her bass guitar. Vincent continued to hammer away at the keyboard keys, with the setup now clearly showing the picture of a proud phoenix, soaring through a crystal blue sky.

'_And iiiiiin the end! It's on dreams we will depend! Cause that's what **love**...is made ooooof!_'

One final time every pillar of flame of rocket-firing device went off as the song ended, Vincent adding a few short and light keystrokes. As the crowd roared, Tifa and Yuffie stepped closer to the stage, throwing their picks towards the crowd. Barret came down and hurled his drum sticks as far as he could, to be caught by a screaming fan. Vincent produced a t-shirt gun and fired over two dozen shirts in one direction or another, with Cloud producing a bucket of guitar picks and chucking handfuls every which way. After, the five members linked arms at center stage, and bowed again.

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p><span>The "Final Fantasies" set listsongs

* * *

><p><strong>Talking Heads – Psycho Killer<strong>

**Twisted Sister – I Wanna Rock**

**Bon Jovi – Livin' On A Prayer**

**Def Leppard – Rock of Ages**

**Van Halen – Dreams**

* * *

><p><strong>~ ` ` ` [VII] ` ` ` ~<strong>

* * *

><p>After, Cloud found his microphone, "Thank you once again everyone for following along so far! But the story isn't over yet!"<p>

"There's still more of the tale to tell!" Tifa added.

Cloud continued, "In closing, here is a special something for you, the fans! And be sure to keep an eye out for more things to come! Goodnight everybody!"

The stage went dark then and the band quickly dispersed. A line of small lights suddenly appeared around the titanic sized screen, showing emphasis upon it. The crisscrossing steel beams suddenly began to click and hiss, as the machinery holding them in place flared to life. The beams were slowly pulled away from one another, and the large screen pushed forward, until it was level with the very end of the stage. At first, the picture was snowy static, the resulting sound near deafening. Just as quick the static faded and again the screen was black.

"_A world already scarred by near catastrophe is once again in great peril," _A deep and booming voiceover said over the speakers.

The screen now showed the ruined and charred fields outside of Junon, as well the fields of Fort Condor. Deep ruts and bodies were everywhere, with the occasional dead carcass of a feral beast also present. The overhead sky was gray with dark storm clouds here and there.

"_Kingdoms rise and fall, crushed by the heels of fate and time. Peace is never meant to last, as evil will be ever present, and always hoping to rise above those of virtue and righteousness."_

The images of Fort Condor and Junon faded, instead replaced by a large military compound. Trucks and soldiers ran this way and that, and the faint barking of orders could be heard. Many of the soldiers there seemed to all scramble in the same direction, out of the compound and into the open fields outside. But still a smaller group who remained behind, rushed to the opposite side of the compound.

"_But always, champions of the light will step forward, and attempt to banish the evil ones from whence they came."_

A flash of silver and a large blade suddenly cut across the screen, followed by the splattering of blood against a black screen. That quickly faded, followed by the sounds of gunfire and soldiers yelling orders. The black screen flared then, growing from black to white, until the entire large screen resembled a titanic sheet of paper.

"_But what do you do... when your demons... are not only outside... but inside as well?"_

A large and curved blade suddenly sliced the whiteness, the picture on the screen changing dramatically. Eight shadowed figures of varying sizes and shapes stood around a ninth, situated in the very center. Long and flowing silver hair seemed to burn afire from this central figure, with the same curved blade held tightly in a left fist. Behind these nine figures was JENOVA's head, situated aop three rocky spires, a gargantuan black flag flying behind that. Again the screen flashed, this time showing a bloody dagger sitting upon a marble floor.

"_When treachery and uncertainty are the true enemies... what then do you do?"_

A flash of white light upon the screen, this time showing a single figure, bound with thick ropes and a leather bag concealing it's face and the true identify. That image faded and then slowly brightened once again; this time the screen showed an empty baby crib, a single stuffed bear tucked beneath a wool blanket and pillow. The bear had a small cut in it's chest, and from it leaked a tiny trickle of what could only be blood.

"_When the truth becomes the hardest pill to swallow, do you reveal that truth, or simply let it consume you?"_

Now the screen flashed in three rapid successions. It showed the nine shadowed Brotherhood figures once again, all of which slowly faded to reveal a single figure, clenching a bloody razor-toothed dagger in their right hand. And while the face was concealed with blurry lines, a WRO symbol had been seemingly etched onto their shirt. The second image showed the ruined town of Mideel, large and wide founts of water as far as could be seen. Slowly the waters shifted from blue to bright red, and corpses appeared all about the shattered landscape. Finally, the Gorefiend Yarzagorth appeared, eyes flaring bright red, pincers clacking together mightily and roaring an awful sound. Two shadowed figures appeared at it's side, and the three of them faced a fourth figure, this one wielding both a lance black as pitch, as well a blazing red sword; the face had been blurred out, but it was clear this fourth figure was dressed in ring-mail and leathers. As Yarzagorth, his twin cohorts, and the ring-mailed figure lunged for each other, the screen suddenly went black.

The booming voice continued, _"The past plays a valuable roll on the future... do we learn from it, or dismiss it as uselessness that has come and gone?"_

The black screen then revealed a single materia, of red coloring with swirling black tendrils within it. It was seated atop a small platform, with a large and expansive bookshelf in the background. A white-gloved hand suddenly appeared and plucked the materia from the pedastal. The camera panned back to reveal a man with a skeletal-thin face, milk-white skin, platinum blonde hair brushed behind his head, and rounded spectacles. This man studied the summon materia, then trailed his eyes to look at the camera, an evil smile slowly forming. Then once again the screen went black.

"_...Nothing... is as it seems."_

The black screen then flashed suddenly to white, the sound of booming thunder breaking the silence. And from the whiteness, there came a title of sorts, the words black against the white background:

'_Advent Children: The Crusade.'_

_...__Coming Soon..._


End file.
